Alice - Dog In A Box

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that really matter" 

~Martin Luther King

Alice has lived in this box for 6 years. Never having been out of this box, living in 6 years of her own filth. No sunlight except what manages to creep through the slats in the boards and the chicken wire. No human contact emotionally or physically... EVER.   Her screams were heard by a passerby who thought it was a squealing pig. She is desperate to be saved... 

This is the story of a beautiful six year old, chocolate brown Pitbull named Alice in Toombs County, GA.  

Yes, we are talking about the south, the deep south where them "good ol' boys" have their own idea of what the law is and how it should be upheld.  Where the judges and police officers (and I use that term loosely) change the laws at will to suit their needs.   Most of the time, they just plain seem to "forget" what the laws are  because they are just too damn lazy to do anything about the problem.  

Most southern states seem to fly under the radar to the rest of the country... until something so unimaginable happens that suddenly now the whole world knows about it.  Such was the case a year ago when a sweet docile dog at the Forrest City , AR animal control was mauled to death when it was left unattended for 12 hours with several other dogs in a kennel on Memorial Weekend.  It was a blood bath.  The news of this reached 21 other countries and supporters from around the world stepped up to help create change in the small southern town of Forrest City.  Well, now it seems it's time that Toombs County, Georgia be put on the map for its unspeakable negligence for animal rights.  Enter... Alice.  

 

Alice was discovered on Saturday January 29th, 2011 when a passerby heard what she thought was a pig squealing.  Upon closer inspection what she discovered was a beautiful chocolate brown female Pitbull, living, or rather just existing,  in what can only be described as a box.  The box was approximately 5 X 8 X 4, made of old weathered boards and chicken wire.  Alice had lived in this box for 6 years.  Living in her own filth. Never was there any human contact emotionally or physically.  She had been deprived of ALL her natural senses.  She was only fed bread and an occasional "honey bun" that were thrown to her from the top of the box through the chicken wire and onto the floor that was caked with 6 years of feces and urine, from there she had to eat and sleep everyday of her miserable existence.  Her water bucket looked more like a bucket filled with raw sewage than water.  It had a wire handle on it like paint buckets do.  To the wire handle, a rope was tied and fed through the chicken wire in the roof of her box so, if the bucket ever fell over they could pull on the rope to upright the bucket with out ever having to set foot in her filthy box or to give Alice any attention what so ever.  Alice was just a breeding machine to them, the "owners", and nothing more.  You see, dog fighting in the south is very common (recall Michael Vick) and not unheard of to just breed Pitbulls to sell or to fight them themselves.  It was very apparent that Alice has had several litters.  She has never been vetted or vaccinated or medically treated for any of the common diseases in the south such as heart worm or round worms.  THIS is Alice's existence.  I say "existence" for that is what it is.  She has no life, just purely... existing.  

Scott Bennett, the Director of Southern Comfort Animal Rescue Inc, located the owner of Alice and told Scott the reason she was in the box and had been her ENTIRE life was because, "She was one of them mean kind of dogs" ie:Pitbull.  She had been in this miserable existence since she was a puppy, deprived of every conceivable natural sense as if she were not self aware of her own suffering.  CLEARLY she is self aware and KNOWS her suffering as was proof when the passerby herd Alice squealing like a pig in her loneliness, hunger and misery.  

What has followed was a series of frustrating events.  Scott revisited the property with a sheriff who was horrified by what he saw but, his superior was not.  Nor did the animal care and control care much for Alices condition and Scott was in fact told that the AC officer also fed his own dogs scrap food thrown onto the ground.   When Scott presented his findings to the Judge/Chief Magistrate, he was advised that he would "throw out" any charges of animal cruelty.  Apparently, Judge Matheson also claims that there are "no laws that require a rabies vaccination in the state of Ga".  Really?  Thats news to me.  When concerned citizens called  sheriff Alvie Lee Kight, Jr to express their concerns about Alice the response was, "stuff's gettin blowed up".  That sounds like the real educated intelligence that the south is famous for.   Does it LOOK like Alices conditions were exaggerated in anyway?  Hmmm...???  What appears "to be blowed up" to you Mr Kight?  

Since Scott's visit to the "owners" of Alice who were told that her living conditions must improve or charges will be brought against them for animal abuse, she was moved to a chain link enclosure with an Igloo.  Though this is an improvement, it is not enough.  She still has no bedding, no food bowls, no medical care or vetting and she is still very very isolated and alone.  

Here is adorable sweet happy Alice when Scott took a brief  VIDEO

As you can see, she is so happy to have any kind of human attention she dances in her pen hoping to have companionship.  

Southern Comfort Animal Rescue   (SoCo) has created a PETITION   on behalf of Alice.   Not only do they want to see her owners charged with animal cruelty for the atrocious way that they treated the dog for six agonizing years, but they want the dog to be removed from their "care".

Ultimately, they want the dog to be released to their rescue - to be properly vetted and cared for. SoCo is hoping that everyone reading this article will sign the petition, send letters to county officials, and share this story with others.

Though Alice is "just one dog", speaking up on her behalf can help to change the mindset of this entire area. If Alice's situation can be remedied - it will be more than a win for her. It will be a win on behalf of animal welfare in Georgia.

The following information is to be utilized to help Alice and other dogs like her. 

Concerned individuals are encouraged to write to the 

Magistrate Court of Toombs County, 

Chief Magistrate John Matheson, 

147 Jerry Ave., Lyons, GA 30435, 

or phone 912-526-8984. Fax 912-526-8985.

Contact Sheriff Alvie Lee Kight, Jr. at 912-526-6778.

And email County Manager, Doug Eaves, at deaves.toombsco@bellsouth.net. 

SoCo has indicated that Mr. Eaves is an animal lover himself - letters to Mr. Eaves should express the general public's desire for a change of animal welfare law in this area.

You may find SoCo's Facebook fan page HERE .  There you will also be able to find all the most current and up to date info on Alice as it becomes available.  

A form letter will be provided by SoCo for concerned individuals that want to reach out to officials.  If you are able to access Facebook, please visit the SoCo profile to view and copy the form letter located in the NOTES tab.

I hope that everyone will share this story. Alice has suffered long enough. What she has endured is unimaginable. No living creature should ever be treated in this manner.

A special THANK YOU to Scott Bennett the Director of SoCo who is passionately leading the fight to save the life of Alice and the future welfare of all dogs in Toombs County, GA.  Thank you Scott and to everyone helping you both in Georgia and around the world through Facebook.  

"A nation can be judged by the way they treat their animals" 

~Ghandi

God bless you sweet dear, Alice.  The world is watching you now.  We love you sweet baby girl.

xoxox...

L & L

"Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go." ~Brooks Atkinson

Tonight I am, with great pleasure, staying in with my dog and doing laundry.  No parties.  No dinners.  No Las Vegas.  No loud drunk and obnoxious behavior that I detest so much.  I swear the older I get, the more solitude I enjoy.   Save for the fact that I have to pick up my dear friend at the airport at 11:00pm tonight.  That is, IF her flight comes in on time.  I'm guessing not.  5000 flights have already been canceled in the last few days due to the Winter snow storms, so it seems I may be ringing in the new year at the Jetblue terminal at LAX.  Nice.  

On a more exciting note, beginning tomorrow, I will be in full swing with my training & cardio routine.  There is no time to waste.  I have several shoots in the first  four months of the new year and all of them are very exciting indeed.  The more I think about all the new things happening this year, the more excited I get.  A new job, new shoots, new projects, new friends, new tattoo's.  I feel like a little school girl jumping up and down, clapping my hands and squealing at the mere thought of the prospects.  Already 2011 looks to be a very good year.  I am more than ready to put 2010 behind me, look to the future and forget all about 2010.  I'll fill you in on the details of the projects as they come about.  For now... stay tuned.

One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is to rise above the little things.

 

This past year I have made it through some enormous hurdles.  It's when I am going through all  this that I can put into perspective what is worth bothering to think about and what is just a waste  of mental time and energy.  No more free rent in my brain this coming year.  Pick your battles as they say.  If it does not positively enhance or contribute to my life, then it's not worthy of my time and energy.  End of story.  

 

 

 

"My strength is as the strength of ten, because my heart is pure."
~Alfred Lord Tennyson 1809

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR, FELIZ AÑO NUEVO TO EVERYONE!

xoxox...

L & L

 

 

 

 

 

"The greatest conflicts are not between two people but between one person and himself." ~Garth Brooks

It seems ages since I have spent time writing lately and with good reason; I haven't.  Life seemed to move at "full speed ahead!" just about two weeks ago and has not stopped or even slowed down since.  All good news though.  

The best of the news is, two weeks ago I finally found employment outside of my 25 year profession, which is failing miserably in this economy.  It is, at least, for those of us who have been in the profession long enough to know the true value of our services.  I will have to make a mental note to write more about this and everything else, a bit later.  Tonight and every night for the last two weeks, I have just been so overwhelmed and tired that on more than a few occasions I have fallen asleep at my computer.  Imagine my surprise to wake up, walk to the bathroom before hitting bed and  to find my keyboard imprinted on my right cheek.  

"Damn!  What time is it?"

So, tonight I'm going to write just a few short words then I am off to bed.  No keyboards on my cheek tonight.  

It seems that with the new job and the studying taking up so much of my time these days, other areas of my life are suffering or taking a back seat for the time being.  This is driving me crazy.  I don't mind letting the blog go for a couple of weeks with out checking in but my training is suffering.  At least my idea of training is suffering.  Yes, I am still going everyday.  I'm still training hard, harder than most people do anyway.  But, the diet sucks and my cardio is non existent, and to me that is not acceptable.  It's always been difficult for me to put my training second to my job if I didn't have to.  But, things have changed in the last few years and now I HAVE to put the gym second to my job and I am really struggling with that.  Mentally I struggle with this all day long in my head.  I have to keep telling myself that, "This is only temporary until you get back on your feet."  Argh!  

Enough.  Im too tired to carry on with this dialog about the gym and work.  

Let us just leave things with ... I will write about it all when I find I have more time and brain power.  But, tonight is not that night.  I just wanted to stop in and leave a few words and wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  

xoxox...

L & L

" At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." ~Albert Schweitzer

For someone who loves every single thing about being fit, not being able to go to the gym is a terrible prison.  It is mentally and physically torturous.  For someone like me, removing my access to train would be like removing part of my soul.  I would venture to say that by removing my ability to go to the gym and train, could be used against me to tell my deepest darkest secrets.  Not only does your body slow down, turn to mush and deteriorate but your mind does as well.  I am one of "those people".  You know, the ones who are at the gym day and night.  The ones that eat, drink, breathe, sleep, dream about the gym.  Yes, I am even one of those that is in the gym on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and New Years Eve and New Years Day.  

I am a national physique competitor and I love every single thing about  being fit.  I love the training, dieting, the discipline, the sights, the sounds and the smell of the gym. And I absolutely LOVE that sore feeling you get the next day after training so hard you can't hardly move.  That blinding soreness and pain that takes control of your body and every move you make...or don't.  I know, Sick, right?  

Well unfortunately, thanks to the economy and circumstances surrounding it, my ability to train had been put on the back burner for a couple of years.  GASP! "What the Hell am I going to do?"  Yeah, don't think I didn't lose my mind  and months of sleep trying to figure this one out.  But, there are times when Life chimes in and decides to teach us lessons that we might not normally give a second thought to or things that we take for granted.  I won't get into my thoughts and views of the economy on this blog because God knows I have a lot to say about that.  But anyway, as I was saying, Life sometimes will teach us lessons which forces us to take a good hard look at our lives and where our priorities lay.  I think birth, death, cancer and serious illness are some of the things that can do this. While any one of those things would have a great impact on my life as well, in this case it was loosing my income.  So now those bubblegum pink patent leather 6" stilettos, the ones that make your legs look amazing, didn't look so cute.  And the $600 custom made leather corset was no longer necessary. Out went my plans for the following years list of contests & competitions I would train for and compete in.  My nutritionist and my trainer would have to wait and that killer new contest bikini that was being made just for me had to be canceled. ...sigh.  This was my life. 

So there I sat.  Sitting on the beach, watching the waves ebb and flow and having a long discussion with Life and the Universe.  No, I'm not going to turn this blog post into a look into the dark recesses of my mind and soul and fill you in on all the boring details of soul searching an questions.  The end result is fairly predictable and what we all know but rarely want to face if it means that we must give up our most prized possessions.  Everything in life has it's place.  And the lesson here was for me to learn to prioritize them accordingly.  Competing, training and having a great body were not the priorities in my life that I once thought they were.  At least not right now.  Right now is about finding employment, paying the bills, the mortgage and making sure I had food on the table.  Those are priorities.  That's life.  

Yes, that was life as it were for me three days ago.  Three days ago There was no gym and no possibility of seeing the inside of a gym anytime in the near future with out, of course, employment.  And employment, gainful employment, is as elusive as a four leaf clover.  They're out there, but they are hard to find and EVERYBODY wants one!  Well, do you believe in Angels?  I did, but thought that mine had abandon me a few weeks back when I cursed them for the parking ticket I had gotten while on an interview for a job I didn't even want.  No, apparently the Angels had not abandon me but just wanted to teach me another one of life's little lessons.  'Always put more money in the meter than you think you will ever need'.  Got it!

Long story short, three days ago I was blessed with a membership to my beloved gym.  The details on how this came to be shall forever remain a secret.  But, this goes with out saying... I am eternally grateful.  So...

I'M BAAAACK!!!!

I'm still looking for that elusive four leaf clover and gainful employment but in the mean time I will at least be able to do it all with a smile on my face, love in my heart and a much better out look on life.  And that just may be the ticket I need to be successful in finding just the right new job. 

See you at the gym!!!

xoxox...
L & L

Your Personal Power, Growth & Evolution

GROWTH

Whatever you hold in your mind will tend to occur in your life. If you continue to believe as you have always believed, you will continue to act as you have always acted.  If you continue to act as you have always acted, you will continue to get what you have always gotten. Nothing changes in life unless you change your thought. If you want different results in your life or your work, all you have to do is change your mind. Think a new thought.  We are all led to the truth for which we are ready.  If you are not ready, nothing will change.  It is your evolution.  Your journey to discovering WHO YOU ARE.  Yet if you knew WHO YOU ARE - that you are the most magnificent, most remarkable, most splendid being God (or the Universe) has ever created - you would never fear.  For who could reject such a wondrous magnificence?  Not even God could find fault in such a being.  Believe in yourself! 

"The important thing is to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become"
~Charles Dubois~

"The secret of making something work in your lives is first of all, the deep desire to make it work; then the faith and belief that it can work; then to hold that clear definite vision in your consciousness and see it working out step by step, without one thought of doubt or disbelief."
~ Eileen Caddy

PERSONAL POWER

You are the embodiment of the information you choose to accept and act upon. You are the accumulation of your thoughts and beliefs and this is the person whom you show to the world.  Are you proud to present THIS person to the world?  Do you love WHO YOU ARE and how you treat those around you?  Are you proud of the choices, decisions and beliefs that you hold today?  To many, looking within oneself and acknowledging ugly truths or accepting responsibility for their less than honorable actions, is a difficult task. To some, this means to accept and acknowledge that the things you may have said or done in the past, means to accept that you are a terrible person for doing such things.  Not so.  We all have an innate desire to be good people.  If we knew how to "do better" we would do better.  We can only "do" what we know how to do.  Therefore, we are doing the best we can with the knowledge that we have today.  Your point of personal power is always in the present moment. NOW is the time to take control of your power. To change your circumstances you need to change your thinking and subsequent actions.

Take in your power and be proud of WHO YOU ARE, the decisions and choices you have made and the person whom you choose to show the world.  For that... is your chosen path.  Your life's journey.  Your Power can never be taken from you.  Only you, can give it away.  

THE VALUE OF MORAL COURAGE

Courage is a highly admired virtue. Most often we associate the word with physical prowess or bravery. But there's another form of valor that's much more important because it comes up more often. It's called moral courage - the willingness to face not physical danger but emotional pain, disapproval, financial insecurity, or uncertainty rather than compromise an ethical principle. 

 Moral courage is essential not only for a virtuous life, but a happy one. Without courage, we have no control over our lives. Our fears corrode our spirit and confine us like a barbed wire fence. That's why they say a coward dies a thousand deaths, a brave man but one. 

 Integrity is essential to self-esteem and the admiration of others. It requires us to put our comforts, possessions, friendships, and even jobs at risk in the defense of deeply held principles.   Integrity is what we do, what we say, and what we say we do.  Integrity is the essence of everything successful. 

 It takes moral fortitude to be honest at the risk of ridicule, rejection, or retaliation or when doing so may jeopardize our relationships, income or career. It takes boldness to be accountable and own up to mistakes when doing so may get us in trouble. It takes backbone to stand tough with our friends, lovers and children when doing so may cost us their affection.

 Mark Twain said, "Courage is not the absence of fear but the resistance of fear, the mastery of fear."

To paraphrase President Franklin D. Roosevelt, "The enemy is not what we fear; it is fear itself".

If our insecurities and anxieties cause us to lose confidence in the power of virtue, we will lose something very precious.
And simply knowing HOW is not enough to succeed in evolution.  It must be understood with clarity and APPLIED to be successful in your growth and evolution. 

People with moral courage rarely get medals, but it is the best marker of true character and a virtue others can be proud of.  

All my love...
xoxox...
L & L

A little TWISTED humor

...to get you through the day with a smile. =)  I can't take credit for this.  This was sent to me by a friend and thought I would share.

Thought you might like this…

To Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don’t Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It “In.”

5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write “For Smuggling Diamonds”.

7. Finish All Your sentences with “In Accordance With The Prophecy.”

8. Don t use any punctuation.

9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat…use a serious face.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is “To Go.”

12. Sing Along At The Opera.

13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don’t Rhyme.

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.

15. Five Days In Advance , Tell Your Friends You Can’t Attend Their Party Because You’re Not In The Mood.

16. Have Your Coworkers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.

17. When The Money Comes Out of The ATM, Scream “I Won!, I Won!”

18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling, “Run For Your Lives, They’re Loose!!”

19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. “Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.”

20. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity…...well you figure that out; I already gave you a cheat sheet!!!

It’s Called Therapy =))

Enjoy!!!

xoxox...

L & L

"So long as you live and work, you will be misunderstood; to that you must resign yourself once and for all." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This has been a difficult week to be sure.  It has also been a very good week.  A week of polar opposites you might say.  

I have very few regrets in my life for I have learned from every single experience that I have ever had.  The more difficult the life experience, the more I have learned and therefore, have grown.  For that, I am forever grateful. 

Which reminds me, I will have to post at a later date something I had written for FB on "Growth" here in my blog.  

I digress, I like who I have become. As the old saying goes, "With age comes wisdom".  The older I get and the more experiences I have, the more understanding, forgiving and more compassionate of a human being I have become.  Youth is definitely wasted on the young.  Sometimes it may be a year or more before I realize what it was that I had learned from a particular experience but, it never fails me, the lesson is learned.  This week has and is, one of those weeks of lessons to be learned or lessons I will eventually learn as I evolve in my understanding. 

"Knowing is not enough; we must apply!"

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

With all of that being said, there are times when I think "ignorance is bliss".  There are times I wish, I just never knew. Wish that I never knew how darn good the Costco pizza was or that Chaya Venice has a sushi Happy Hour seven days a week.  Wish I never knew how calculated and premeditated some people are in the abuse of animals that are thinking, feeling and sentient beings themselves.  They KNOW they suffer.  As in my previous post about Lassa.  But, if I never knew, then I would also not be able to help.   

Ignorance may be bliss but knowledge is power.  And if we were to be ignorant about all things painful then we would be living in Utopia, would we not? 

I am reminded of a relationship in my past that... I don't regret having per se, for I DID learn from it and it helped me to become a better person in the process.  But, some things are better left untouched.

**Note: In case you hadn't noticed yet, I love using quotes.  Most of the time they can express what I am thinking and feeling better than I can.  

And here I am thinking "Better friends than lovers".  I liked him so much more when we were just friends during the last four years.  I find myself wishing I could turn back time.  I don't want to know him as I now him today but would rather remember him as the person I knew before.  I believe there really are only two emotions in life.  Love and fear.  And it seems the later is all consuming for him.  It must serve a purpose but for what, I don't know, nor do I care.  It is not for me to learn his lesson. Every human thought and every human action is based in either love or fear.  This particular relationship may be one of the few regrets I have in life; wishing it had remained a friendship rather than what it has become today.  At least until I have figured out what good has come of this.

"THERE COMES A POINT IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU REALIZE: Who matters. Who never did. Who won't anymore and who always will.
So, don't worry about the people in your past; There's a reason they didn't make it to your future."

In the mean time, life has moved on and SO MANY good things have happened.  In recent weeks I have reconnected with people from my Myspace days.  Some are old friends and others are networking and business connections.  And still others are friends from 20+ years back that I am thrilled to see again!  In any case, I am very excited to have been back in touch with them all.  Since being back in touch with some of them, there are some AMAZING things in the development for 2011!!!  And I am so excited to see the year unfold.  There are a lot of modeling "projects" in the works.  I won't disclose details but, stay tuned.  It will be an exciting year!!! 

xoxox...