Brandy and Val

Please watch our most recent interview on last night’s 6pm NBC Chicago broadcast.  Sums up what we’re all about perfectly!

Brandy and Val, their story

As we reflect on the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and what has and hasn’t transpired during this time of rebuilding and healing, here’s my thought: BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD. Credit to Mahatma Ghandi.

Although in some respects it’s “never enough” to be reminded of all the work that needs to be done, there are plenty of stories at the local and national level about New Orleans and its’ environs, 5 years after the storm.  My thought, above, for the day sums it up for me and has helped to foster our mission at Brandy and Val, LLC to “do good where good is needed.”

Val’s story as a “Hurricane Katrina Dog” will be told on this evening’s NBC5 News Chicago 6 p.m. broadcast and I’ll post the link tomorrow so everyone can hear his tale.

It is through our pet therapy duties and sales of our books:  BRANDY AND VAL, BRANDY AND VAL’S FAVORITE THINGS and BRANDY AND VAL’S SPECIAL STORY and sales of our mini-Brandy and mini-Val toys that we hope to benefit the lives of children and animals.

Well, I never thought I’d be confronting this issue first-hand but I suppose most people don’t.  The other day my husband and I were walking Brandy and Val when a neighborhood dog who was a fair distance away from us, broke free from his leash and bolted to attack both Brandy and Val.  Luckily, my husband, who had Val, was able to break free of the situation with Val but I was not so lucky.  The dog, who I knew was rather unfriendly and on prior occasions made a point of walking away from him whenever I saw him in the distance. lunged at Brandy’s neck and the fight was on.

I was more concerned about Brandy getting injured and really didn’t know what to do.  I knew NOT to to get in the middle of the fight and there was nothing around as a distraction so I kept trying to pull Brandy closer and closer to me and away from the other dog.  My hope was that the other dog would stop as Brandy became next to me and maybe by that time, the owner, who was running towards us would be able to lasso his leash back on and pull him off.  That’s kind of what happened in the end but it really got me thinking what to do if it didn’t work out that way.  DISCLAIMER:  This is only a guide, based on what I discovered after I read several different articles after a search and what I would probably do if confronted with this again.  It is a general consensus of thoughts culled from the articles.  Here’s what I found:

1)  NEVER put yourself in the middle of the dogs or pull at the scruff of the neck in hopes of separation.  Dogs go for each others neck and become totally absorbed in the situation and fight.  The will not recognize your hand/arm/body even if you are their loving parent but there is an incredibly high change that you will be badly injured.  Just DON’T DO IT!

2) Hopefully, you will be in a situation where there are two people–you and the other pet’s owner.  In that case, the safest way to separate the pooches is for each person to grab hold of their pets’ hind legs and pick them up like a wheelbarrow.  Then the dogs can be safely pulled apart.  I don’t know if I would have the courage to go even that far, but I guess if it ever happens again, I’ll be put to the test.   Other alternatives to breaking up a fight require other diversions if you are luckily enough to have them at your disposal.  I did not.  These include:  shooting a water hose over the dogs (a bucket of water might work but is not preferable); the use of pepper spray; a loud jarring noise such as an air horn (but human screaming does not seem to work); or a barrier of some form to help separate–a net, large branch, board.  DO NOT clunk a dog on the head with a stick, especially a large breed dog as their skulls are thick and this will only make them more angry.  Across the nose or at the back base of the skull is an option.

3)  From that point, each party should slowly back away in a circular motion so that the dog remains unbalanced and will have to use the front paws to sidestep and walk.  By doing this, the dogs can no longer pose a threat to the other dog nor to you.  Make sure you are a safe distance away from each other and that the leases on the pups are secured before even considering walking away in a normal fashion.

4)  If you are, unfortunately, ALONE, the first thing to do is, “get a grip!”  You are now in a scary situation that you need to gain control of without getting hurt.  Get another leash or rope (yes, you will have to leave the dogs to fight while you do this unless you have any of the diversions listed in 2) and thread it around one of the dog’s back loin.  Slowly, drag the dog to a fence or tree that you can tie the leash to.  The other dog will probably still be fighting with the leashed dog but once the leashed dog is attached to something stable, you can now go to the other pooch and grab his hind legs and drag him off the other dog.  Circle and turn away while you do this, again, for the balancing issues stated in 3).

Hopefully, this won’t happened to you but, now that it’s happened to me I will feel a little less helpless should there ever be a next time.  I would love to hear any other comments and suggestions or experiences that others have had on this subject.

Brandy and Val, “doing good where good is needed.”  It is through the sales of our books, toys and appearances that we hope to benefit the lives of others, including animals!  Please support us at http://www.BrandyandVal.com

We’re celebrating our FULL PAGE SPREAD in this month’s Women’s World Magazine.  Pick one up today and read all about us–who we are, what we do and why we do it!

After all, we’re all about “Doing good where good is needed.”  Our books – BRANDY AND VAL, BRANDY AND VAL’S FAVORITE THINGS and BRANDY AND VAL’S SPECIAL STORY — are entertaining and educational for pre-schoolers and they do good since every sale benefits animal rescues throughout the country.  Don’t forget we have Mini-Brandy and Mini-Val toys, too.  There’s still time to order and have them to take with you on that final summer hurrah we call Labor Day Weekend!

We’re enjoying our summer break but are gearing up for the busy fall, lining up our appearances and pet therapy programs.  On Septeber 16, we plan to be at the “Character Counts” Social in Elk Grove Village, IL (225 East Elk Grove Blvd) starting at 4:30 p.m. talking about the responsibilities of pet ownership and reading our stories.  Starting September 23 on consecutive Thursdays through October 14, you can sign your child up to read to Brandy and Val at the Mt. Prospect Library, IL, PAWS TO READ PROGRAM 7:00 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.

With the 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina coming up the end of the month, we wish to thank everyone who helped in the reilef eforts and who continues to help rebuild the City.  Val was adopted from Katrina and he sends special doggie kisses to those out there who helped save his life.  The rest of his family is forever grateful, too!  100% of the sales from BRANDY AND VAL’S SPECIAL STORY are donated back to the rescue Brandy and Val were both adopted from.

Until next month, remember that without your continued support, we wouldn’t be able to continue helping others.  Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and comment on our posts at “What We’re Barking About,” our blog.

Ilene Fine, Author,

BRANDY AND VAL REAL DOGS WITH REAL TALES

As far as I’m concerned, it’s ALWAYS Brandy and Val Day in our house.  On a national scale, August 26 is National Dog Day, where we publicly celebrate the love we have for our canine friends and recognize all the good they do for us and others–from the unconditional love and friendship they provide to the amazing skills some display n the workforce as search and rescue dogs, bomb sniffers, etc.  It’s also a time to help spread awareness on all the dogs that need to be rescued from abuse and abandonment (but we do that all the time around here).

Since Brandy and Val are pet therapy dogs, out and about helping children, we’d like to make mention that educational programs are available to help your community or local school promote fire and travel safety for both you and your pet.  Travel safety includes that while boating, camping, car and more so check out what’s available and make the world a safer place for all.

Know what’s REALLY cool?  The Crayola Crayon Company is participating in the Dog Day act and if you visit their site, there are LOTS and LOTS of downloadable stuff your kids can do and crafts you can make with them.  There are also ecards you can “color” customize and lesson plans.  It’s a site I’ll go back to again and again because it’s so fun.

Engage everyone you know who loves and appreciates the power of the dog to honor the dog on its’ day.

Brandy and Val, through the sales of their books and toys, honors all dogs by donating a portion of their sales to animal sanctuaries and rescues around the country.   Real Dogs with Real Tales doing good where good is needed!

We never know when life will throw us a curve ball.  Is your dog sitter/walker available at the 11th hour?  If not, what will you do?  Of course, stuff like this happens more often that we’d like and hopefully, you’re prepared to handle this.  But what if another Hurricane Katrina happens or you can’t get back to your home to retrieve your pet in case of an emergency like a flash flood, or wildfire or…..? Who could foretell that the the homeowners in the area around the World Trade Center would not be able to retrieve their pets immediately following 9/11?  Since Katrina, 5 years ago this August, laws have been passed and towns and local municipalities have been working on provisions to ensure that in a natural disaster emergency, pets and their families will have places to go together, that retrieval efforts will be made available should a separation occur or that there are local places that pets can be dropped off where your animals will remain safe and secure until you can safely return.

However, the onus is on US, the pet parent, to HAVE A PLAN and know, in advance, what options are available.  The plans should range from simply designating a friend in a nearby town as a “go to” person or having pet photos and tracking chip numbers on your phone or laptop to more elaborate plans like ensuring that pet carriers are at the ready along with some food and any medications that might be needed.  Know which shelters in your area will take pets if need be. I just discovered PetFriendly Travel.com which has links to great emergency preparedness sites along with listings  and numbers of pet friendly shelters, by state.   Ready.org offers a downloadable guide for pet owners to help us all plan for the unexpected. Another downloadable brochure is offered by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)  and is quite extensive covering animals of all types–horses, livestock in addition to our run-of-the-mill pooches and kitties and birds.  They really mean it when they titled it, “Saving the Whole Family.”

Of course, I always think I would NEVER leave my pets behind and I don’t ever, ever think I would or even could, but sometimes, one has to think of the unthinkable.  Don’t wait until it’s too late.  Don’t let what happened to Val right after Hurricane Katrina happen to your beloved furry friend.

Val, upon adoption by us

A happy & healthy Val, 2010

Brandy and Val are two rescue dogs who are now very fortunate pooches.  Our mission at Brandy and Val, LLC is “to do good where good is needed” and it is through the sales of our children’s books, Brandy and Val, Real Dogs with Real Tales, and toys that we aim to improve the lives of sheltered, abused and abandoned animals.  It is through our pet therapy that we hope to benefit the lives of children and their families.