74-Year-Old Florida Woman Mauled to Death by Her Two Dogs

I have posted about this topic before. Sometimes dogs will attack a weak member of the pack. I have seen this watching groups of dogs, when a psychologically weak dog enters the group. Sometimes, you can almost imagine a "Kick Me" sign is on the back of these dogs, because it is so predictable what is going to happen if you let them loose in an off leash area. If this woman had a stroke, or some other debilitating medical problem, it could have triggered this attack.

Since this is normal pack behavior, should the dogs have been put down? Tough question. The common sense answer would be to separate the dogs, evaluate them to see if they are normal dogs, and if they are normal, adopt them out to a new home. The emotional answer is to just kill the dogs. The legal answer is to kill the dogs to eliminate the liability. The moral answer? That's up to you to decide since humans have rightful dominion over the animals of this world, and we have to be good stewards of one another and of the animals.

It's kind of like the situation when a shark attacks a swimmer in the ocean. Or a bear or cougar attacks a person in the wild. Humans tend to go and hunt the animal down and kill it. Is this really right? I'd say no. The animal isn't abnormal. The people should be leaving it alone, unless the animal is a menace, can't be captured, and would be likely to kill or attack again. But, if you are in their domain, not in a human domain (a city, for example), then I just don't think it is right to kill the animal since that is where they live.

What's This World Coming To?

POLICE sniffer dogs trained to spot terrorists at railway stations may no longer come into contact with Muslim passengers – after complaints that it is against the suspects’ religion.

Is this insane, or what? This is a free pass for anyone who wants to commit a crime with WMD's.

Here's how you know the British are being messed with by the IslamoNazi's...

RIYADH, 20 November 2005 — The Kingdom has expressed interest in acquiring search dogs from Britain as part of its security program. David Lloyd, leader of a visiting 47-member British trade delegation told Arab News that Saudi Aramco and Saudi Arabian Airlines have shown interest in sniffer dogs from the United Kingdom.

Do you really think this is about religion? Or is it really an orchestrated campaign to undermine security in advance of the next terrorist attack? I'm convinced it is the latter, otherwise why would the Saudi's want MORE such dogs in their country? Wise up, you politically correct liberal fools in the West. You are being used.

Hat Tip: Atlas Shrugs blog

A Ton Of Interesting Dog Stories

1. VIENNA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Animal control officials in Genesee County, Michigan, apologized for mistakenly euthanizing a family's pet.

This happens more often that you might realize.

KENT, Wash. - A Kent man is furious after a dog he rescued was later euthanized by King County Animal Control.

I think some of these animal welfare groups should try taking on the animal shelters in this country. Many are poorly run, filthy, and treat dogs and their owners inhumanely. I have been appalled at some of the shelters I have visited over the years.

2. San Diego police and the county Department of Animal Services are investigating the death of a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois police dog named Forest who was found Friday in the back of his handler's squad car in Alpine, where the temperature soared to more than 100 degrees.

I question all these stories. They are like the ones where the parents leave the baby in the car all day in the sun, the baby dies, and the parents say they forgot the kid in the car. I think many of these cases, though not all of course, are purposeful and criminal.

3. Dog bites represented about one-third of all homeowners insurance claims last year, according to the study. "While the number of dog bite claims has remained about the same in the last three years, the average cost per claim continues to rise because of increased medical costs as well as the size of settlements, judgments and jury awards, which have risen well above inflation in recent years," Loretta Worters, vice president of the Insurance Information Institute

Can you say: Dog Training! Most dog bites can be prevented. Hire a professional when you get a dog.

Filth Found At Petco Warehouse

U.S. Marshals have seized pet food stored under allegedly unsanitary conditions in a rodent-infested west suburban PETCO distribution center. The distribution center, run by the San Diego-based PETCO, stores pet food products and supplies for PETCO retail stores in 16 states, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. According to the complaint, the FDA inspected the warehouse in April 2008, and found live and dead rodents and birds on or around the containers of pet food, as well as rodent pellets and bird droppings throughout the facility. Inspectors allegedly found holes and gaps in the warehouse allowing entry for the birds and rodents, and observed debris outside the building that can harbor rodents.

This is appalling.

Is Owning A Dog A Sin?

I was recently asked this question, so I figured it was a good blog topic.

The answer is "no" and "yes", depending upon the circumstances.

Fanatics see sins where there is no sin: Environmental wackos, animal rights nutcases, IslamoNazi's, some ultra-conservative Christians I have met, find the mere ownership of a dog to be a sin. Then, there are other types of people, such as drug dealers, who turn dogs into vicious killing machines, and thus, turn their ownership into something evil.

If we are talking "sin", then we should consider the religion. Clearly, Islam does allow the ownership of dogs. Similarly, you can't find anywhere in the Bible where dog ownership is considered a sin.

Consider this... what makes a person "unclean"? What makes something into a sin? Isn't it those things that corrupt the heart, and then the resulting choices people make to harm themselves or others? What is spirituality all about? It's not those things about you that make you a "sinner". It's what you do with those things that defile you. It's not clothes, or music, or makeup, certain foods, your haircut, or dogs. It's the reasons why people get certain types of these things and what they do with them, and how it harms them and others, that makes these items turn from something neutral into something "sinful", right?

You can find these types of issues affecting a variety of realms.

Gun ownership comes to mind. We've heard the saying: Guns don't kill people, people kill people. And that's true. It isn't the gun that causes the crime, it's the gun in the hands of the person, that chose to do immoral things with that gun, that makes it a crime. Otherwise, a gun in the hands of a police officer would compel the officer to murder someone, just by the virtue of having that gun touching his or her skin. That's just silly stuff. And having a dog doesn't therefore make you an evil person. Why you got that dog, and what you do with that dog, determines whether you are doing something good or bad. Is a guide dog an evil thing? No. Does owning a guide dog and using it to help you cross the street make you evil, or does it harm others, or does it offend God? No. Does owning a pit bull turn you into an evil person? No. Does being a drug dealer, and making a pit bull vicious by abuse and neglect so that it attacks an innocent person make the person evil? Yes. It's not the dog or the breed, it is why you got the dog and what you do with the dog.

So, if this question of sin bothers you, then ask yourself: why am I getting a dog? If the reason is a good, then there is no sin. If the reason is an evil one, then don't get the dog.

There is a good reason to read religious texts, because you will gain wisdom from them:

"Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' " -- Mark 7:18-23

Don't Let Busybodies Spoil Your Day

Dog day care may be the hot trend for pampered pets, but some homeowners in Crystal Lake are trying to pour water on a proposal to open one in their neighborhood, citing worries about yelps, smells and safety.

This is more about a bunch of busybodies than it is about doggie daycares. Properly run dog daycares, placed in areas that are zoned for business, are not a nuisance to the neighborhood. They are, in fact, a valuable asset to the community.

The first objection to this particular daycare is that it will be too noisy. The article says it will be located in an industrial building. Which means it isn't in a residence. The second objection is that the daycare will be smelly. Wrong. Doggie daycares aren't smelly. You can walk by any doggie daycare and you can't smell the dogs from the street. The third objection is the safety of children. This is a stupid charge since the dogs will be behind fencing in an industrial area of town. I have been training dogs at Paws to Play doggie daycare in Scottdale, AZ for nearly 2 1/2 years, so I can speak with some authority regarding this topic. Doggie daycares are an asset to any community. We have done amazing things for pet owners at Paws to Play, and I wholly endorse having a doggie daycare in your community.

This is a perfect example of what a bunch of dog haters will do in your town, if you let them. None of these "worries" are of a legimate nature. Dog haters, in my experience, are busybodies. They are meddlesome, snooping types who use the laws and the cover of being just normal folks to stir up strife and grief for others. They aren't normal. There is something wrong with THEM. You see these types at neighborhood meetings. They are the ones that get on your local homeowner's association boards, who introduce silly rules and harsh penalties to harm other people who are not really doing any harm to anyone.

Read this story and be warned. You have to fight back, and you have to fight hard. And in some communities, it is better to just move away and let them rot. In the end, sometimes the law will be on their side on a technicality, but in other cases, their arguments have no basis in fact and you can defeat their goofy agendas.

Don't Leave Your Dog Unsupervised In Your Back Yard!

The Salgados believe that Quantum was taken from their backyard by a man who might have been hoping to demand ransom for the dog, a trend that seems to be growing, said Jessie Miller of Animal Cruelty Heartline of El Paso.

"It is becoming more common that people are taking other people's dogs, then they call (the dog's owners) and want money," Miller said. She said she received eight such reports last year and two reports so far this year.

Proof That Breed Bans Don't Work

"The 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act has failed because of its narrow focus on four breeds of dog. The owners of any other breed are left to largely do as they please regardless of the behaviour of the dog."

They banned certain breeds of dog in Britain. The law didn't cause a reduction in dog attacks. Just as most dog lovers had predicted.

In fact: "since its introduction the number of dog attack victims treated at hospital has more than doubled."

My Dog Bites Me When I Correct Him

Does this happen to you?

There is a simple answer: Stop surfing the internet and hire a dog trainer!

Most of the time, this is a result of something being wrong in your relationship with your dog. Either you're being too rough or you are spoiling your dog. In a small percentage of these cases, the dog has a medical problem, and your dog needs evaluation from a veterinarian.

The first stop on your journey, however, is to hire a professional dog trainer in your area.

So, Is Your Dog Too Friendly With Strangers?

When most people inquire of me about this topic, they are seeking to make their dogs into protection dogs, or they are asking because their dogs are nuisances and won't leave their guests alone.

Let's just put a fine point on this once and for all, eh?

Protection Dogs

First, if your dog wasn't bred to be a protection dog, then forget it. I'm talking about a police line dog, where the parents and grandparents and so on were all police or military dogs.

Second, there is a lot of hype out there regarding which breeds are the "ultimate guard dog". Sorry folks. Look at what the professionals buy and use, not what some breeder or guy selling books has to say. If you don't see the police or military using them, then your dog is the wrong breed.

Third, just because your dog is friendly doesn't mean it won't protect you. This is where novices get it all wrong. A friendly dog can also be a very protective dog in the right circumstances. Usually what novices perceive to be a protective dog is really just a fear biter or a dog that has been made vicious (and therefore completely worthless as a protection dog). A snarling, growling dog that lunges at everyone is almost always a dog that is unsuited to be a protection dog.

The Untrained Nuisance Dog

Sometimes this inquiry is from someone who has a dog that they aren't seeking to protect them at all. Instead, they have an untrained and poorly led dog that is a nuisance and a brat. The dog jumps on guests, won't leave anyone alone, and won't calm down. That's just a training problem, and a good trainer can give you ways of dealing with this without squashing your dog's spirit.

Electrocution of Dogs!

The New York Post reporter whose bullmastiff died after being jolted by electricity from a lamppost is suing the city and Con Ed. "How many more people, how many more pets, have to give their lives to make this point clear?" Denise Buffa said as she announced the legal action.

This is not a new problem in New York. There have been other pet deaths like this. Maybe it's time for Mayor Bloomberg to stop grandstanding for useless socialist legislation and fix the basics for a change. New York is broken. It is a corrupt mess, like Chicago and Los Angeles. I'm fed up, aren't you?

Barking Mad!

Owners of bed and breakfasts have been banned from keeping dogs in their kitchens under a European Union ruling that could see hundreds of family-run businesses close. Officials claim that the animals pose a potential health and safety hazard to guests' food.

Yeah. Sure. Right.

If dogs are so hazardous, then why aren't people getting deathly ill in their own homes if they own a dog? Obviously, they aren't.

Do you see why I distrust government regulation? Do you see why I advocate free enterprise, and rail against socialist and collectivist politicians and regulators? If you allow them, they will regulate every aspect of your life.

You've got to fight back.

People Manners

What should you do if you want to bring your dog over to a friend's house, but your friend doesn't want your dog there?

Don't bring the dog.

What if you want to bring the dog over to your girlfriend's / boyfriend's / fiancé's home? What if they don't want the dog there?

Don't bring the dog... and also make sure that you don't marry someone, or move in with someone, that doesn't like dogs or doesn't want your dog around. You are just asking for a lot of trouble, and possibly a painful breakup with either your dog or that person in the end.

Not everyone likes dogs. Not everyone likes your dog. Not everyone can have a dog in their home. Not everyone can be around dogs. Not everyone should be around your dog.

Why lose a friendship or get in a fight over something like this? I bring my dogs where they are welcome.

Then again, why keep a boyfriend, girlfriend or fiancé if they don't like dogs?

If it's not your home, you don't have a right to do what you want in someone else's home. If it is going to become your home, then either get the right to have the dog or don't make a home with that person.

More On Territoriality

Here's a case where a mastiff attacked an intruder. In this case, the dog was a hero. We want our dogs to guard our property and our families. So, clearly, there's nothing wrong with a dog being territorial and attacking.

As I've said over and over again, sometimes it is OK for a dog to bite someone.

A Cautionary Lesson In Territoriality

A 33-year-old man was mauled by three dogs at a neighbor's house. Cummings went to the house, where he regularly mows the lawn, and entered a gated area of the yard. He knocked on the door to schedule a time to do yardwork, but the residents weren't home. A German shepherd mix, a pit-bull mix and a terrier mix at the house then attacked Cummings after he tried to leave the yard. Cummings managed to escape the yard and shut the gate behind him before running home, where his mother drove him to Grays Harbor Community Hospital in Aberdeen for severe injuries to his face, arms and torso.

Dogs are territorial. If you are perceived to be an UNINVITED intruder, they can attack. If the facts are as they are stated in the article, I don't blame the dogs in this case. Territoriality is a natural instinct. This guy shouldn't have entered the yard without the owners present, even if he knew the dogs.

This is why I recommend the following to all dog owners:

a. Don't leave dogs unsupervised in your yard; and if you do, recognize that they will be on patrol;
b. Know the dog bite laws in your community so you know how to defend yourself legally should an intruder enter your property;
c. Post a No Trespassing sign on your gates. Make it illegal for a non-resident to enter your property without your express permission. This might make the difference between whether you are liable or not.
d. Put a child proof lock on the gates so someone would be forced to climb into your yard to get into where the dogs are. Make it difficult to enter. Make it clear that you took steps to keep intruders out.
e. Put barriers around any "attractive nuisances" in your yard to discourage kids from climbing into your property. That means put fences around pools and trampolines. Kids are given a free legal pass to climb into your property if you have a pool that will override your "No Trespassing" sign. Make it difficult for them to do so.
f. Have a good fence around your property that is difficult to climb.
g. Have your gates spring loaded to close and lock automatically in case the gates are left open.
h. Place "Dog on Premises" signs on your gates and fences. In some cases, if you put "beware of dog" signs, then you are almost admitting you have dogs that will attack, and that might be used against you in court. So, use a more benign type of sign.
i. Use other intruder deterrent devices if you can afford them: automatic motion detector lights around the perimeter, burglar alarms, security cameras.
j. Don't get in the habit of letting workers enter your property without your express permission, and without you being present with the dogs around. I have known of workers who will act threatening to get the dogs out of their way as they enter the gates, swinging equipment on purpose, thinking they are getting the dogs to leave them alone. Many dogs will see the intruders taking a swing at them as a threat and then bite.
k. Make sure your homeowner's insurance covers dog bites so that they can defend you in case the dogs bite legally.

Not all dog bites are unjustified.

Rare Dog Breeds

Being a dog trainer, I get calls from potential customers asking my experience in working with different dog breeds. This is a reasonable question for an owner to ask. However, it doesn't reveal much to the customer when they are inquiring about a rare dog breed. I figure I've worked with approximately 75% of the AKC breeds at one time or another. However, some of the breeds are pretty rare, and I might never get a chance to work with one of them. I can only work with breeds that my customers have purchased or adopted, and that's not something I can control. Any trainer that says they have worked with tons and tons of every breed is either as old as the hills or is just plain lying.

For example, I've never worked with a Bohemian Terrier. But 99.9999999999999999999% of American dog trainers haven't worked with one, either. So, it isn't going to be of much help to a dog owner to look for that one trainer in town that has.

Similarly, if you own one of the new designer dogs, such as a Puggle, Labradoodle, or Goldendoodle, you won't get much useful information by asking a trainer how many of them have they worked with. These breeds are still pretty new, and there is going to be a wide variation of behavioral types within these new breeds for quite a while. I've worked with these breeds enough to start forming some impressions. I've worked with a handful of Puggles, for example. These dogs have been going for as much as $2,500 to $3,000 per pup, so not a lot of people can afford these dogs, and thus, I'm not going to see that many of them. I've worked with a number of Labradoodles and Goldendoodles, too. I've seen fewer of them in the past year for some reason. I'm suspecting that the fad is wearing off, and people are seeing that they are bigger dogs as adults than many people were wanting. I've been able to get some better impressions of them because I've worked with enough to see what they are all about.

I guess my point is that if you are going to buy a rare breed, then you are better off finding a good trainer than trying to find one that has worked with a lot of the type of dog you purchased. The trainers that say they have worked with a ton of dogs of a rare breed have to explain why they have seen so many of these rarities, when not many exist in the world. In many cases, I'm suspecting, they are going to be telling the buyer what they want to hear in order to make the sale. I figure, instead, it's better to just be honest and let the chips fall where they may. When you don't tell lies, you don't have to worry about them coming back to bite you one day.

Dog Trainer?

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Looking for a dog trainer in the Phoenix area? Need a dog behaviorist in the Phoenix area? Or, do you need assistance, but live outside Phoenix? Send me an email. I can help you out.

I know... it's a shameless plug...

People think that all it takes to be a dog trainer is to love dogs, read a couple of books, put out the word, and the world will flock to you and love you. It's just not that simple. It takes years and years to get good. There are a lot of hard lessons to learn along the way that no one tells you about. You make a lot of mistakes early on. No one wants you experimenting on their dogs, so you should learn by training your own dogs first. And you need a mentor... and that means a heck of a lot more than just joining some program, or buying into a franchise, and paying them money to teach you about being a dog trainer. It means finding a true expert to learn from. Then you have to learn to work with pet owners. That takes time and effort, too. You can't get that from a book. If you haven't lived and been where they are, then how are you going to relate to their situations? You can't get that in a 3 week course at the local pet store. Lastly, you have to decide what kind of person you really are to see if you should be doing this at all. There are the quick buck artists out there that think that sales means tricking people, and making the bucks is so important to these greedy types that they have no problem hurting dogs to get a paycheck. Real salespeople know that sales is an honorable endeavor, and means truly helping people, not tricking them out of their money. And good business people do everything with an eye on the long term, even if it means swearing to your own hurt at times to make sure that the customer is happy and the dog is treated properly. Being a professional means keeping your integrity even when times are hard.

There's a lot to being a good dog trainer. Most people just aren't willing to pay the price to be that, even many of the ones in the business already.

Let the buyer beware.

Slippery Slope?

Police dogs in Norway are finally getting the respect they deserve. The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that they are public servants, making an assault on a police dog as serious as an attack on any police officer.

What will be the result of this precedent? I'm always concerned when the law equates animal rights with human rights.

In the old days, if you stole a man's horse, it was a hanging offense. That horse was the difference between living and dying. Maybe that's all this court was doing in a ruling like this. By harming a police dog, you are endangering the life of the police officer. IF that is what the court is saying, then I'm all for it. If, on the other hand, they are equating the life of a dog with that of a human, then this will have many undesirable side effects throughout the legal system in Norway, and possibly other countries (since it has become fashionable to use precedents made in other countries to set precedents in this country).

It Wasn't Justified

The shooting of a dog in Washoe Valley south of Reno has neighbors at odds over whether the killing was legal or justified. A black Labrador named Bucket was shot and killed Saturday morning by an employee of Kruse's Custom Meat. Butcher shop owner Tom Kruse said he's had problems in the past with Bucket getting loose and attacking chickens or rabbits on his property. He says an employee shot the dog when he found it killing a chicken.

Sorry, but I don't think this was right. It wasn't necessary. And it might have been illegal. There was no need to kill the dog. Just call animal control. Two wrongs don't make a right.

The owner should also have taken better steps after the first time this dog had gotten loose. You can't trust that other people are going to be nice to your dog if it is running loose, as you can see here.

Grief

If you've been watching the news, Tatum O'Neal was thrown into a serious tailspin by the death of her dog. I feel great empathy for her. Look, here's the deal.

First, it is devastating to lose a dog you really love. Anyone who's really into dogs knows what I'm talking about. When your dog does, man, that really sucks. Life is miserable for a time, and it is hard to not go through some serious grieving.

Second, former drug addicts are highly susceptible to relapsing if they are thrown into a serious depressive state. The drug abuse programmed their minds to crave drugs when they are depressed. Drugs can damage you for the rest of your life.

I'm hoping she's ok, and I'm hoping she's getting the support and care she needs. I also hope she gets another dog. The new dog won't replace the old dog. But, it will fill the hole in her heart, and she'll be able to move on. I wish her well.

Tune Up Time!

How long has it been since you did some formal training with your dog?

If you haven't been consistent in your training, then it is no wonder you are having issues with your dog. And it could also cost you the life of your dog in the case of an emergency.

You need to periodically update your training. So, call your trainer and set up some lessons today!

Blame Socialism. Ban Socialism.

Dog-fighting is becoming more common in Britain as youths use the animals to assert their status on housing estates... "The ownership of "status symbol" dogs by teenagers on inner-city estates -- low income neighborhoods that usually feature state housing schemes -- which are used for anti-social behavior or dog-fighting, is rising at an alarming rate," the RSPCA said. It added the use of dogs as weapons or as status symbols had become a "real problem". Youths were using the dogs to replace knives or guns to defend their territory.

Socialism harms people. Socialism is a plague on humanity. Socialism harms dogs.


My solutions?

• Make people responsible for taking care of themselves. The social safety net in these welfare states finances irresponsible living.
• Get rid of the public housing.
• Why don't these youths go looking for work? Because they are locked out of the workforce because of socialist employment policies and because it is easier for their parents to get money on the dole instead of working.
• Enforce truancy laws. These kids should be in school.
• Enforce laws that don't allow bums to be bums. Unemployment is always massively high in socialist countries, so these people have to find other ways to find importance in their lives and ways to make a buck.
• Legalize gun ownership. Criminals don't go flashing around their weapons when citizens are armed and ready to protect themselves and their neighborhoods.

I have said all along that dog fighting is a people problem, not a dog breed problem. At some point, the public is going to realize that. We didn't have these kinds of problems 50 years ago. Ask yourselves why that was. What is causing people to do these types of things?

More dog laws aren't going to stop people from doing these kinds of things. You have to get at the root of why people act in anti-social ways, and what you need to do in order to turn that around. When you go to school and have to work, you don't have time or the energy to do all these horrible things. I contend the most dangerous thing on the planet is a young man without a wife, education, and a job. We need to focus on things that encourage people to want to raise a family and be a contributing member of society. You don't do this by coddling them. Heck, you will even wreck a dog by coddling it. The best thing you can do for a kid is to put them in a stable home, keep them in school, and make sure they can find a job. Socialist policies do just the opposite. Note that the highest rates of unwed mothers is in our modern socialist countries, and in neighborhoods where socialist policies reign. And the highest unemployment and highest crime rates are in neighborhoods where socialist policies reign.

Just so you know, Barack Obama is a socialist. And he supports animal rights. What do you think that is going to mean for your right to own a dog if he is elected President?

This country and world needs moral leaders. Because of this, I have a variety of problems with Barack Obama's candidacy. Here we have an extremely charismatic, likable personality, with a reprehensible set of values. As a dog blogger, I'm particularly worried about what a pro-animal rights President would do. Right down the line, on every issue, Barack Obama is a hard core socialist. That is quite alarming. Add to that a group of radical followers, and we have the potential for a very damaging Presidency. I've been fighting against radical, anti-dog legislation and policies for a long time. I can't, in good conscience, see how any animal lover could vote for a Presidential candidate that was pro-animal rights. I don't care how likable this guy is, national animal rights legislation would be a disaster. And his support of animal rights just further fits within the radical picture that is developing of this guy. I wonder why no one has followed up with him on this issue. What kind of legislation would he pursue as President that would affect my dog? What kinds of judges would he appoint? And would an Obama Presidency almost kill all our efforts at preserving our rights to own and train our dogs, and take them in public places?

Our Declaration of Independence states what I believe was the founding principle of our country:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

I can't support any candidate that doesn't believe in this. Socialists don't believe in this. They believe men aren't created equal, they don't believe in a Creator, they don't believe in a right to life, liberty, or your pursuit of happiness.

Here's how Barack Obama thinks:

“We can't drive our SUVs and, you know, eat as much as we want and keep our homes on, you know, 72 degrees at all times, whether we're living in the desert or we're living in the tundra, and then just expect every other country is going to say OK, you know, you guys go ahead keep on using 25 percent of the world's energy, even though you only account for 3 percent of the population, and we'll be fine. Don't worry about us.”

The implication is that we need laws to regulate what people eat, what they spend, where they live, and to conform with what other people think we should be doing. That's socialism. That's dangerous. It's not freedom. And it enables many evils in our lives.

And I don't know how anyone rational could vote for someone that was a socialist. I want leaders that are morally principled, not smooth talkers. I've tried and tried to find ways to like this very questionable candidate. But, everywhere I look, I see the mess that this guy is. His values are all wrong, wrapped up in a handsome and likable package.

I'm not giving up my freedom, and I'm not giving up my right to own a dog.

Neglect? Negligence? Or A Crime?

A mom who went grocery shopping while leaving her 7-week-old baby in a hot car with windows rolled up for 45 minutes was booked Saturday night on one count of child abuse, Phoenix police said. "The mother didn't seem concerned at all," said Erik Estrada, a witness. "She wasn't crying." Police said they are still trying to determine why Nichols left her daughter in the car. Nichols has two other children, ages 2 and 7, officers said. Sources told CBS 5 News she has been in trouble before for child neglect.

I wonder how many of these stories we will hear again this summer... child left in hot car, dog left in hot car, child drowns in pool, etc. We are seeing too many of these stories. It is starting to look like a pattern to me. It is starting to look purposeful. It is starting to look like copycat crimes that have a 50/50 chance of the perpetrators finding a way to murder their kids or kill their pets and get away with it.

I don't know about this specific case, because everyone should be presumed to be innocent until proven guilty... but, I'm suspecting something evil in many of these cases, where it is not just simply that people are in a rush and forgetting they left a child or pet unsupervised... that this kind of thing is purposeful and criminal in nature. I'm starting to believe that in most of these cases these parents and pet owners are mentally deranged in some way, and should be locked up or permanently kept away from kids and pets.

What are your thoughts?