More about Dangerous Dogs in Germany

My friend Iris sent me more information about the dogs in Germany. Here's a list of the kinds of dogs that are restricted. You can click on the breed to figure out what it looks like so you'll know what it would be called in America.

Kategorie 1: Pit-Bull Bandog American Staffordshire Terrier Staffordshire Bullterrier Tosa-Inu

Kategorie 2: Alano20 American Bulldog Bullmastiff Bullterrier Cane Corso Dogo Argentino Dogue Bordeaux (Bordeauxdogge) Fila Brasileiro Mastiff Mastino Espaniol Mastino Napoletano Perro de Presa Canario (Dogo Canario) Perro de Presa Mallorquin Rottweiler

Iris also said...

I learned that even the breeding of these dogs is meanwhile forbidden by law (§ 143 STGB). You can only buy such a creature in Austria or Great Britain, but you are not allowed to import him/her to Germany.

The discussion (and decisions) came up after a pitbull killed a child in Hamburg in 1990. I think from the beginning of the discussion to first steps it took only 3 months.

I say...
Think of all the media reports you've heard here in the U.S. just over the past year of vicious dog attacks. Only a month ago local news reported that 2 Pit Bull dogs attacked an 8 year old boy in Conroe and he had to be life-flighted to the hospital. The dogs were still on the loose and local news was warning people about them. Why is it that our government officials don't respond like they do in Germany?

German Laws Regarding Dogs

My friend, Iris, who lives in Germany, tells me that her country has much stricter laws than we do regarding dogs. I was amazed by what she told me, so I wanted to post it here. As you can tell from one of my previous posts, even the attempt to restrict certain breeds known to be aggressive by a local government gets challenged at the state level with the AG opinion being requested. I wonder how many big dogs would be in America if we had similar rules to Germany. Read on what Iris says and tell me what you think.

FYI - current exchange rate 1 Euro = 1.4045 U.S. dollars

We have very strong regulations here to have a dog in a family. Pit Bulls, Mastiffs, German sheep dogs, boxer and all the "larger" breeds are only allowed to be held, if the owner takes a course three times a week for one year to prove his character (yes, the owner) to prove he can handle such a dog. This course cost 2000 Euro. After the exam he is allowed to buy such a dog. When the dog arrives, the owner has to take him to a two years training (2 times a week) under control of a police dog trainer. This course cost 1500 Euro each year. And last but not least, Germans pay dog taxes.

I have to pay 144 Euro for two dogs each year. When you have a dog who is listed "could be dangerous" the tax raises to 1800 Euro a year. Together with the costs for buying such a creature you can easily spend 11,000 Euro during the first two years. Can you imagine how much "dangerous dogs" we have in our neighbourhood? None, nobody was silly enough to spend that much money.

In my direct neighbourhood we have 15 dogs (including mine) and one very big German sheep dog, but he belongs to a police dog trainer, there is no need to fear. He is a quite charming boy (the dog, not the trainer :-).

GG & Monte Share Toys

Tater LOVES Squeak Toys - Who Knew???

One More of Timitu - Catnip MMMMMMMMMM!

Timitu's Scratching Toy

Christmas with the Four-Legged Kids

Timitu, our 18-year-old cat, still remembers her kitten days...with a little help from Santa...

Interesting Request for AG Opinion

Given my recent experience with Porch Boy being attacked by a Pit Bull, I found this of particular interest. http://www.oag.state.tx.us/opinions/opinions/50abbott/rq/2008/pdf/RQ0765GA.pdf

Health Updates

I had my first follow-up blood test since going on the diabetes medicine and it was in the normal range. So, the combination of the change in diet and medicine seems to be working. I will have to repeat the blood test every 3 months to make sure I stay in the normal range. Thank goodness I don't have to monitor my blood sugar levels by sticking my finger! I know, I'm such a wuss....

P Boy got all 9 stitches removed on Thursday. Gina took him and said he wailed like a banshee. The owners of the dog that attacked him still have not picked up either of the certified letters I sent. Once they are returned to me I decided to approach them, neighbor to neighbor, and request that they reimburse me the $1195 vet expenses that their dog caused. If they refuse, then I will file a small claims court case, which I'm pretty sure that I would win.

I found out that even if they don't pay a judgment in my favor, I can have a lien against their house for the amount and they can't sell their house until they pay. Justice will be served.

Scary and Funny Walk With the Dogs

Although I have been told by a neighbor that Animal Control came to take away the Pit Bull that attacked Porch Boy, I'm not 100% sure that happened. I will call the Animal Control Department on Monday to confirm it. I haven't seen or heard the dog, though for the past few days on our walks. The owners still have not picked up either of my letters.

The scary thing that happened on the walk this morning happened right as we started. We were walking past our next door neighbor's big trucks in their driveway and on the other side encountered a stray dog. My heart literally skipped a beat! Then it started racing. So even though I was starting to feel more at ease thinking that the Pit Bull no longer will bother us, I can't let my guard down. Fortunately, this was a friendly little mutt who seemed as surprised by the encounter as we were.

The funny thing that happened on the walk was seeing Trip freaking out over some mechanical deer that were put in someone's yard as Xmas decorations. He was barking his fool head off at them. I guess you had to be there...

Thanksgiving

Had a fun day with the folks, Alena & Jonathan - even if Luby's holiday entree was less than what Daddy had expected. We were one of the first in line by showing up 15 minutes before they opened, so no waiting. Left us plenty of time to play games :-)

What am I thankful for? So many things. First, Gina is the very best! I have a fun-loving family who I love and who love me. My dogs and cats bring me unlimited joy and love me unconditionally. I live in a nice house, with good neighbors, and I have a great job with the best boss in the world. People I work with are easy to get along with and the work atmosphere is peaceful and rewarding. I have met other Trekkers, who understand me at a level few do, and have had the privilege of attending a Trek convention in Vegas and on a cruise. I have more "stuff" than I could ever need. Because of the internet I can keep up with old friends who live miles away and make new friends.

Clothes I Wore During the Dog Attack

When I fell while trying to wrestle the Pit Bull to the ground, here's what happened to my jeans and you can see how dirty my shirt got.

Photos of P Boy's Hernia Operation

One hernia took 5 stitches to repair - the other took 4 stitches. He's a very uncomfortable pup!

P Boy hates this blue collar that he'll have to wear for a week to keep him from biting his stitches
Trip thinks it is some sort of toy and keeps trying to pull it off P Boy.

Porch Boy Needed Surgery

Yesterday I took P Boy back to Dr. May for his follow-up visit on the hernia. Turns out there were 2 of them and both needed sutures - one took 5 stitches and the other 4 stitches. P Boy whimpered and shook all last night while in bed with me. He wouldn't stay in the crate this time. He has to wear this stupid blue collar around his head to keep him from pulling the stitches out of his belly and he hates it. He'll have to wear it for 7-10 days, though, because that's when I take him back to have the stitches removed. He's still taking antibiotics and pain meds daily as well.

Total amount I've now paid Dr. May for P Boy's injuries is $1195 - and the owner of the Pit Bull has not yet signed for delivery of my demand letter for reimbursement of the original emergency treatment. I'm sending another letter, with the hernia follow-up surgery included, today with a delivery confirmation notice rather than certified. That way I can show the court that I tried the certified method first and then followed up with a tracking on delivery showing that they should be aware that demand for payment has been made.

If it goes unanswered, I will file a small claims court lawsuit for the $1195 and include compensation for my medical expenses as well. I have had difficulty sleeping and concentrating at work - two sure signs of depression for me - as well as several flashbacks to the incident which have left me feeling victimized anew. I will also seek compensation for missing a half-day of work yesterday to go see a psychiatrist (who prescribed some anti-depressants she said I should take for at least 6 months - I have a follow-up visit with her scheduled next month) and to take P Boy back to the vet. I've decided $3000 would be a fair amount to compensate for pain & suffering.

I also found out that I can file a "Dangerous Dog" lawsuit asking the court to require the owners to get a $100,000 bond if they continue to keep the dog at their residence. That way he won't have to be put down, and hopefully they will choose to give him to someone who can better restrain him. I don't want him killed - I just want to protect my dogs and other small dogs in our neighborhood from his unprovoked attacks.

I'll take some photos of P Boy's belly and him in his collar to post later tonight.

Legal Remedies

The notice of the certified letter I wrote to the woman who owns the pit bull that attacked Porch Boy was delivered on Saturday, but they haven't signed for it yet. If they go by and pick it up today that will give them only a 24-hour turnaround time to get the payment to me. I have an appointment with Dr. May tomorrow morning at 8AM to assess the repair to the hernia on P Boy's tummy. I have NEVER left Dr. May's office with anything less than a $100 payment made, so I figure that the total amount of vet services will be in the $1000 range at the very least. If P Boy requires surgery to repair the hernia, much more.

So I did a little research on filing a small claims case. It costs $30 to file the case and $65 to have the defendant served with notice that they are being sued. An additional $5 for each witness that requires a subpeona and there's no guarantee that I'll win. It's very good that I have the witness and I plan to ask the other folks that live near that corner if they saw the attack. I'm also going to take photos of my torn/dirty clothes. Unfortunately I didn't take any photos of my bruises and scrapes, but I'm glad I have those of P Boy's injuries. So I think I have a good case. And I can include damages for pain and suffering (both mine & P Boy's) up to the maximum $10,000 allowed in small claims court. I can only make a claim for money, though. I can't make any ancillary demands (like a written apology for instance, or for requiring them to get rid of the dog).

Even if I do get a judgment in my favor, there's no guarantee that they would actually pay it. I might have to file additional papers to get the judgment attached to their credit report. And they do have the right to appeal to a Civil Court-at-Law where I would have to do the whole trial over again. So this could become a long, protracted affair.

I also discovered that I can file a "Dangerous Dog" case where the JP has the authority to order the dog be euthanized. I will not do that. Although I did threaten to kill the dog myself when I was so angry about the unprovoked attack, I don't want him to be put down. I just want them to put him into an escape-proof kennel since he clearly can't be restrained by the fence alone. Or give him to someone who lives out in the country where he won't be confused by the territorial boundaries of his property line.

Although I personally think of him as a "dangerous dog" I was told by someone who works for a JP that she had never heard of a judge ordering a dog be put down unless it had attacked a human - typically a child. So, like the Animal Control folks said, a dog-on-dog attack is not going to mean more than just a slap on the hand of the owners. And not a very hard slap at that.

Porch Boy Update

My boy is starting to behave a little bit more like his old wonderful loving self. Last night he chose to come to bed with me, Tater, & Trip rather than stay in the crate. And this morning and this evening while on our walks he chose to lead the way with Trip rather than hang back behind me like he had done. He even wanted to play tug-o-war with Gina. But when Trip tried to engage him in a game of Nascar race, he snarled and snapped at him. Not quite back to that level of play yet!

I'd say he's about 72% back to normal. The swelling has virtually disappeared from his belly, but now the hernia is quite pronounced. It's about the size of a pea right above where the worst bite mark was near his bladder. I've got an appointment to take him to the vet on Tuesday morning to check it out. Dr. May says that it could resolve without treatment, or need just a stitch or two, or might require surgery.Would appreciate your prayers that he won't have to undergo surgery to repair it.

It was a Pit Bull after all!

I was walking all 3 dogs this morning and the woman who lives in the house right at the curve where the attack occurred was in her driveway. She came over to us and told me that she had witnessed the attack but wasn't dressed and couldn't come out to assist me. She said it all happened so fast but she knew the dog - it was a pit bull owned by the neighbor 2 houses down. She also told me that the same dog had killed the poodle that lived in the house between them! She said that the woman had said she was going to put the dog down after that happened. Clearly, she did not.

As I was talking with her, the owner came out into her driveway. So I went over to talk with her. She admitted that the dog had gotten out through a broken picket that they didn't know about. I tried to keep my anger in control, but she never once apologized or offered to compensate my loss. She said that she had resolved things with the poodle's owner and that they had kept the dog under control since - that Saturday morning was the only time he'd ever gotten out. The only other time was after Ike had knocked down the fence between her and the neighbor and that's when he attacked the poodle. She then said that they were going to get rid of the dog. I asked, "When?" and she said, "As soon as my family has resolved their separation issues. We have had the dog for 2 years." I then told her that if I saw the dog again I would kill it, and she said she understood my feelings. My last comment to her was, "I'd appreciate you telling me when you have gotten rid of the dog."

I was so mad! I decided that I need to assert my right to have this dog removed from the community. So I have drafted a letter demanding she reimburse me for Porch Boy's emergency vet care ($842.86) and will send her another vet bill next week when I have to take him back to have the hernia repaired. I also reported it to Harris County Animal Control (we live outside Houston city limits) and was furious that they said that they would not take the dog unless he was unrestrained. If the dog was contained in the back yard, despite the fact that it has already attacked 2 smaller dogs by escaping, then the only recourse was civil legal remedies. They only take a dog into custody if it attacks a human. There are small children that live next door to her and it's only a matter of time before he attacks one of them! All the Animal Control officer will do is go by their house within 24 hours and talk with them about my report if they're home. If not, he will leave a copy of the Harris County Rules & Regulations for restraining animals. Fat lot of good that will do!

X mas Before Thanksgiving Message

Click here to see my relatives in the holiday spirit!

Dachshunds Are the New Pit Bulls?

While perusing the internet to learn about the aggression level of boxers, I came across an interesting study that showed dachshunds were the most aggressive breed of all dogs! Particularly toward other dogs. Comments on the story said that it was in their breeding because they originally had to deal with badgers in the wild who were nasty little fighters. Also said that the doxie tenacity is in-bred because badgers would much rather do flight than fight so they had to go into the burrows to drag them out. Apparently takes a lot of bravery to go into a hole behind prey – most dogs won’t do it.

I know that when Tater gets a whiff of an earthworm underground she will NOT be deterred until she’s torn up the grass and eaten it. Good thing we don't have any badgers! I also read that dachshunds are very protective of their family - must be why Tater was willing to attack that much bigger dog when I fell down.

I did sleep better last night - maybe because Porch Boy was back home. This morning we replaced his bandage. The other one was soaked with blood. We thought it best to leave him in the carrier today while we’re at work so Trip doesn’t bother him. He seemed content in it last night. I guess that’s kind of like still being at the vet, but hopefully being in more familiar surroundings will hasten his healing process.

Judy, the nice lady that makes all the harnesses, suggested I put a heating pad set on low under the towel in the carrier when he's in there. Said it would ease his pain. I know he's really hurting. He's so pitiful - just shakes almost continually - so unlike him. And he's extremely anti-social. Again, not the P Boy I know.

P Boy is HOME!

I dropped by to see him before work this morning and he was so much better! He even hopped up and down when he saw me. Dr. May said that he had taken him outside and he saw a dog on the other side of the fence and started barking at him and running toward him. Dr. May couldn't believe he wouldn't be cowed by seeing another canine given what he'd been through. I sure hope it doesn't change his "never met a stranger" nature.

Dr. May said his belly was too swollen to really tell anything about the hernia. Sometimes they apparently repair themselves but he didn't want to do any unnecessary surgery so he wants to check him again in 7-10 days after all the swelling disappears. I asked if I could take him home after work and he said "sure" but his wounds are still bleeding so he sent along some pads and tape like the kind he put on my protection stick. We also need to give him pain meds and something to prevent infections twice a day.

He shook like a leaf all the way home, sitting on my lap. Tater was thrilled to see him and was very gentle in her greeting. Not Trip. He was all "Let's play!" and P Boy wanted no part of that. Mostly he's just wanted to sit on my lap and shake. Trying to get Trip to leave him alone is a near impossibility. At one point P Boy was mad and snapped at him, just as I had put my hand out to push Trip away from my lap. P Boy bit my hand - by mistake - but dang! It hurt!

Gina suggested we put P Boy into the largest of our pet carriers (which is big enough to accommodate all 3 dogs and the cats at the same time!) so that Trip would bug off. We'll leave him in there when we're at work as well - just until he's healed a bit more.

I did take all 3 dogs out for a very brief walk this evening. But not with harnesses since Dr. May said that the harness would probably hurt PB until the swelling dissipates. It's odd walking them with just their collars on. Trip didn't like it at all. I'll definitely harness him.

It's good to have him back home. Hopefully he'll heal quickly. Thanks to everyone for the kind words and well wishes!

Goodbye Kisses

What Will Happen to the Next Big Dog!!!

Porch Boy's Injuries

My New Protection Stick

I feel more confident that if any big dogs ever attack us again while on a walk, I will be prepared! Dr. May wrapped the handle for me with his special tape - gives me a great grip!

Tater Is Heroic - Porch Boy Was Attacked!

Trip got neutered yesterday, and I wanted to visit him at the vet clinic before Mom & Dad came over at 9:30AM to go on our trip to Aubrey's first birthday party. So I got up at 6:30 to walk Porch Boy & Tater, then I was going to pack up the SUV and get over to the clinic. We had just started the walk when out of nowhere BAM! A huge boxer or pit bull with a black collar suddenly appeared and picked up Porch Boy by the middle and started shaking him like he was a toy.

I still don't know where this dog came from - usually my dogs see another dog a mile away and start barking. This one just suddenly appeared out of nowhere! We were in the middle of the street, avoiding some auto sprinklers when it happened. I started yelling "NO!" and hitting the dog but he wouldn't let go. He could care less about me - he was totally focused on P Boy. All the knuckles on my right hand were swollen and bruised so I know I was hitting him really hard.

At one point I fell down, tearing my jeans and scraping up my knee and that's when Tater charged the boxer barking in her mean voice. The boxer dropped P Boy and by the time I had picked him up and got back on my feet neither the attack dog nor Tater were anywhere to be seen. Panic ensued. I was yelling TATER at the top of my lungs. Silence. What seemed like 10 minutes but was probably less than a minute later I heard Tater bark and saw that she was standing at the end of our cul-de-sac. The smart girl had run home!

I had the dogs on the double leash and she was dragging P Boy's half along with his harness still attached. The boxer had literally thrown it off him with his head shaking routine. I rushed both dogs back into the house, still holding P Boy in my arms. P Boy usually squeals like a stuck pig when he's hurt, but he remained silent. He must have been in shock. I yelled for Gina and she threw on some clothes and we took Tater & P Boy to the vet. He wasn't supposed to open until 8AM but thankfully he was there and opened the back door when I banged on it.

P Boy had 4 deep puncture wounds - 2 in the belly & 2 in the back - and 2 superficial wounds on the back. Dr. May expertly shaved around the wounds and we could see that he was bleeding badly. After 4 quick shots to the neck (2 pain meds and 2 antibiotics) Porch Boy remembered he was supposed to be squealing, which he did really loudly! Then we all noted that there was blood coming out P Boy's penis. That made Dr. May concerned that he was bleeding internally so he took some X-rays. Nothing showed on the first set - then Dr. May put an IV in his front leg and by that time the clinic had opened so he had to tend his other patients. I stayed with P Boy and Gina took the other 2 dogs home.

I called Mom to tell her that my plans to take us all out of town for the weekend had suddenly changed and arranged to meet up with her & Dad to give them the presents. Gina brought my cell phone back so I could call my sister and DEOGI boarders to let them know of the change in plans as well.

Dr. May put some contrast dye in P Boy's IV to recheck his bladder for tears which would require emergency surgery. Thankfully, it showed his bladder and all other internal organs were still intact. Another vet that was there said we were lucky the dog hadn't bit him just an inch more toward his neck or he would have punctured the lungs which is almost always fatal.

I felt so helpless when that big dog was hurting my baby. If it hadn't been for Tater I'm sure he would have continued until he'd killed P Boy.

After meeting up with Mom & Dad to give them the gifts, we went back to the clinic. P Boy looks so pitiful. He has a hernia near one of the puncture wounds on the belly which will require surgery, but Dr. May wants to give him a few days to heal from the initial trauma. So he plans to do it on Tuesday. Dr. May is so sweet. He gave me his cell phone number and told me I could call him to come see P Boy tomorrow when the clinic is closed & he'd meet me there. I'll be there bright and early tomorrow morning.

When we got home I took an Alleve and a Vicodin. My shoulder was really hurting and I found several more scrapes and bruises on my body. I was really trying my best, but I just had no effect at all on that big bully! Slept for a couple hours and had several flashbacks while sleeping. I may need a therapy session or two. I definitely am going to buy some mace!

I decided that I wasn't going to let the bullies rule the streets, so I took Tater & Trip on a walk at 5PM but I took a big stick with me. If any other dogs suddenly appeared intent to hurt us, I was at least going to have the ability to crack their skulls! I will always keep the stick with me on walks in the future.

Well, it's nearly 11PM and I need to go take another Vicodin to get to sleep. More tomorrow...

The Experience - Live Long and Prosper...Elsewhere

Happy Dogs in Xmas Outfits

Oh well, 2 out of 3 dogs seem to like their outfits :-)

Star Trek Photos

I've been trying for the past 3 weeks to get my final Star Trek albums out. Unfortunately by the time I finished the album, AOL decided to end its photo album service. I transferred to the American Greetings one that was offered as an alternative.

While I have successfully migrated the photos, I can't seem to get the editor to allow me to put them back in the order I had them on AOL. Because they make little sense without the captions being in order I will not be sending them out. Sorry if you were waiting for them.

Trip & Tater Sit

P Boy has taught Trip another trick. How to hike his leg to pee. He used to pee like a girl dog. No longer. Now it's like synchronized peeing on our walks because as soon as P Boy lifts a leg so does Trip!

Sit! Please?

Usually P Boy is the best at this trick, but while the camera was rolling, Tater was the best at it. Maybe P Boy got camera shy?

Porch Boy in Bumblebee Halloween Costume

Don't Get Too Friendly Cat!

Although this little guy does look a bit like our Porch Boy, it's not. I wish our cats were this friendly with the dogs. For the most part they just keep their distance. Garage Girl will occasionally rub up against a pup, but that's about as much affection as they ever share.

Wreck on the Way to Work

Less than 5 blocks from my office, we were hit by a Mercury Grand Marquis. I was making a legal left turn onto Capital from the 2nd lane and the driver of the Mercury was in the far left lane which had a "turn only" sign. She didn't. I figure she must have been doing about 30-40 mph since the light was green.

After hitting our SUV she lost control and her car slammed over the curb knocking down a metal No Parking sign and some sort of box that controls the traffic light, ending abruptly by a head-on collision with the cement column holding up Hiway 59. Both the air bags deployed in her car, injuring both her and her grandmother who was the passenger. Grandma's mouth was bleeding from the impact of the air bag and driver girl seemed to have a dislocated shoulder. The car was a total loss.

Grandma was hysterical, jumping out of the car immediately and screaming Spanish into a cell phone and driver girl seemed to be in shock. Gina & I seemed to be fine and I was trying to talk to them, but it was impossible. A Metro cop was there within a couple minutes and she was talking Spanish to hysterical Grandma, but I don't know if she was doing much better than I had done in English. Gina called 911 and asked for an ambulance and police. About 5 minutes later HPD arrived and so did the ambulance.

Seems Grandma was on her way to jury duty, driven by her 19-year-old granddaughter (who looked more like 12 to me) who did not have a driver's license nor insurance. She said she wasn't sure which street she was supposed to turn on and was looking for a "jury duty" sign - that's why she didn't notice that she had to turn left. She also said that they had borrowed the car and she didn't know if the owner had insurance or not. HPD told me I should just file a claim on my uninsured motorist coverage because he doubted I would ever get any restitution from the one at fault. HPD issued the girl 4 citations. Failure to turn in a turn-only lane, causing an accident, driving without a license, and driving without proof of insurance.

Our SUV was towed to the Hyundai body shop and Mom & Dad came to our rescue. They picked us up and brought us home so we could drive the Honda to the urgent care center at St. Luke's to make sure we were ok. I felt sore - my neck again - but I was concerned about Gina maybe having some bleeding injury that we couldn't see.

3 hours later and we were released. I've got Vicodin for the pain. Gina's OK. Home resting now. Haven't heard an estimate on repairs, but did talk briefly with my claims adjuster. He said that he had spoken to the at-fault driver and she admitted it was all her fault. He told her she was responsible for the cost of the damage to my car and our medical injuries. She told him that she would pay for it somehow. I'll be impressed if they can just recover the $250 deductible for me. Glad I have the uninsured coverage. If you don't have it on your policy, get it!

Why I Don't Post Videos of My Cats...

Walk With My Dogs

At first, Trip was terrified of the leash. I suppose it brought back traumatic memories from being tied up to the tree by his previous human companions. Once I used the double leash with him & P Boy, there were no more problems. Gotta admit...they are really cute together!

Finally - some post-hurricane Ike photos!

Happy to report that we were lacking for nothing, except ice, during the aftermath of Ike due to my excellent preparations (see previous post with photos) and we fared much better than our neighbors regarding damages as these photos will attest.

Our cactus was actually at a 90 degree angle when I first saw it. Gina had already straightened it by the time I got my camera out to assess the situation. I now have it standing tall and straight again.

Unfortunately, the middle part of it was beyond repair... a moment of silence please....

There must have been quite a strong wind gust coming through our front porch area. The trellis was flattened out as well...

The backyard fared much better. No damage to any of our landscaping, despite nearly 100 shingles strewn across the patio and lawn.

Our crepe myrtles, all the shrubbery, and even the maple tree are still standing, despite having a more pruned look than they did the day before Ike hit.

Here was the biggest damage we sustained - 2 panels of our fence blew down. Flat. This was between us and the neighbor behind us (Scott & Tiffany). It left quite a big hole for the dogs to run through! As you can see, my maple tree stood firmly in place. Not so the willow tree in their backyard...

A third panel of our fence partially blew down. This is between us and the neighbor to the right of us (Ken & Gwen). But, we were able to make repairs to all 3 panels before the sun went down. Scott is handy with a hammer and a few 2x4s.

We only lost 4 shingles on our roof. Two on each side of the gable covering the front porch & unlike many of our neighbors, it didn't seem to go through the tarp to the wood.

I figured I'd just wait until I see someone working on one of the neighboring roofs and ask if he will come over and repair ours as well for $25 - think that's enough to offer?

Fence About to Blow Away

I was out walking the dogs about 11AM and taking photos of neighborhood damage from Ike. There was sporadic rain, but the wind gusts were still quite strong as can be seen in this video.

Post-Hurricane Ike Videos

This was taken about 9AM Saturday 9/13/08. Ike's eye was somewhere north of Houston, but we were still feeling strong winds all day Saturday. This shows my next door neighbor's garage door apparently breathing due to the wind.

P Boy is the Winner!

By sheer determination Porch Boy is victorious in the Pink Bunny Tug-o-War game. He is not as strong as Tater, but he has that winning "never say die" attitude of all champions.

Congrats to my numero uno dog - to the victor goes the spoils!

The Tug-o-War Game Continues

After One Week With Our Dog Pack

Trip has learned to play P Boy's favorite game - Tug-o-War! Even Tater got in on the action!

Trip Running Around on Patio

Trip's First Day With Us

How Mr. Trip Came To Live With Us

Our family grew by one during the storm – just a tiny one. Donna, the woman who cleans our house, lives in the old part of Pearland, next to some folks who have had a Chihuahua/rat terrier mix since the beginning of the summer and she said that they often left him in the back yard tied to a tree while at work. Can you imagine? In the Houston humid sweltering heat? Poor baby. Well, her kids heard the dog whimpering and barking on Thursday, the day before Hurricane Ike was to hit, and they found he had once again been tied to the tree with no food nor water. And the people had evacuated because of Ike! So Donna untied him and took him into her house to ride out the storm. She didn’t want to return him when these people returned home so she asked if I’d foster him until she could take him to the Humane Society. So, he’s now living with us - but we are failures as foster parents. We've already adopted him!

Everyone on Donna’s block was in on the rescue and when the owners returned they all said that they had no idea where the pup had gotten off to. Probably ran away during the storm. The bad thing is that they will probably just go get another dog and abuse it as well. But at least this sweet little dog has been saved.

I was amazed that Porch Boy and Tater took to him right away. They usually are quite ferocious about protecting their territory. But they just accepted him, tails wagging, rump-sniffing galore. Clearly he had never been walked on a leash. About an hour after he arrived, I put one of P Boy’s harnesses on him and took them all out on a walk. He was freaking out. Kept rolling over on his back to bite the leash and when he got all wrapped up in it I tried to release him. He bit me. Not enough to bleed but a hard bite – enough to say “What the heck is going on here???” I just held him close and petted him. Now I use the double leash with him and P Boy - he loves P Boy and feels more secure when I have them both leashed together.

The first night he stayed in the crate that Donna provided. When I let him and the other dogs out for their morning backyard pee, mine came bounding back inside but he stopped cold at the door and began to shake. I encouraged him to come on inside but he just looked up at me with his ears flat back on his head, kind of cowering. Broke my heart. I picked him up and held him awhile.

He seemed quite bewildered by the cats, but hasn’t bothered them so far. Keeps his distance. The second night I invited him to join me and the rest of the pack in my bed and when I picked him up he was more than happy to sleep in my armpit all night.

I’ve named him “Mr. Trip” but call him “Trip” which is short for “Triple” since he’s the 3^rd dog that has come into my life and my heart. He is a great addition to the family. So sweet. I taught him to sit today. He's definitely the smartest of the 3 dogs. He learned to sit in less than 8 minutes.

Good news from the vet is that he is heartworm negative, but unfortunately he has hookworms. Typical for an outdoor dog. He will need to finish 2 weeks of meds for them and then we'll have him fixed. The vet says he is probably 6-9 months old, based on the number of puppy teeth. We did get him microchipped. I will post several videos but some are a bit dark. Can't wait for everyone to meet our newest baby!

Ike ARRIVES!

1.5 Hours Before Ike Strikes

A Few More Pre-Ike Strike Videos

3:00 and counting

Around 2:30

A little after 2:00

About 2:00 Awaiting Ike

At 1:00PM

Video Before Ike Came

I'll be posting a few videos I took awaiting Hurricane Ike's arrival on 9/12/08 - this one was about noon.

Preparations for Hurricane Ike

You can see in one of these photos the hurricane shutters that are on every window of the house - except the one in the back door. We also don't have anything protecting the window in the front door. So I guess we're still vulnerable to the wind and or tornadoes, but they'll have to come through one of the door windows. And I'll just put out the "not welcome" sign. I'll take more photos tomorrow to show the aftermath but with possible power outages of up to 2 weeks I'm not sure when I can get them posted. We're scared, but as prepared as we can be.

7AM - the calm before the storm...and we are prepared...

200 tealight candles, 2 battery operated radios & a TV

More candles, batteries, and flashlights than we could possibly need

Every available pot and pitcher filled with water

Ice chests and stuff moved inside from the patio

P Boy wonders what happened to the glider while Tater ponders the disappearance of the table

Here they are! Holding hands and hoping to survive the winds of Hurricane Ike!

Only things left on the patio - all else is either in the house or garage. Pray for us!

More photos from 2008 vacation

This album is special because I had planned this anniversary surprise for Gina waaaaay back in October 2007. Amazing I can keep a secret that long, huh? After this album, I have only Star Trek photo albums to send. Please let me know if you want those albums - I know some of you aren't into Trek.
Jeraine

Navajo Lake - on the way to Bryce - elevation nearly 10,000'

I'll bet EVERYONE takes this photo when they get to Bryce!

Gina tries to find Yovimpa Point in the Bryce book while I avail myself of the facilities.

We found it!

Yovimpa means "Place of the Pines" for obvious reasons...

We were alone here so I tried to set the camera on autoshoot

Starting to get the hang of the camera's auto setting

I give Gina a choice of anniversary presents

I'll take the red box - it's bigger!

What could it be???

Jewelry! I knew it!

I open the green box...

But I know what it is - I specially designed these pendants for us

The boxes were a surprise to me - the jeweler thought I was giving them as Xmas presents!

I wanted these to complement our matching wedding rings - see the similar curve design?

Gina LOVED...

LOVED....

LOVED it!

And I loved giving it to her, here at our special anniversary spot

As we were leaving Yovimpa, Gina found a friend

She gives the little horny toad a kiss

Apparently it got no hornier from the experience :--)

Sure worked on me, though! See? I did get the hang of the camera auto shoot!

This is Rainbow Point which is right next to Yovimpa Point

All the color variations no doubt account for this view's name

There's about 10 such scenic viewpoints throughout Bryce National Park

I could have gotten lots of great photos WITHOUT killing myself on that Peek-a-Boo Trail!

This is clearly the day BEFORE our killer hike experience

A better view of what was behind us on that log bench

Hoodoos here...

Hoodoos there...

Hoodoos, Hoodoos EVERYWHERE!

We want to rent a cute little RV like this and go to Yosemite next year