Fresh Loaf

People are all worked up about the red-haired woman who allegedly tossed a kitten out of her car window after the Atlanta Humane Society refused to accept a litter she’d found — probably because the agency is maxed out these days.

That kind of behavior is beyond lame. But so is this guy:

My girlfriend and I have come to the realization that we are doing our [dog] a great disservice by keeping her to ourselves. When we got her we were both in college and had some time … . [We] have been out for almost a year now. Between day to day work and travel for work [our dog] has become very bored and I feel as if her quality of life has come to a screeching halt. She spends nearly all day by herself and when she does get to play and spend time with people and dogs it is too short lived. I think it would be selfish of me and it is becoming unhealthy for her to keep this pace.

OK, so the guy didn’t throw his dog out the window. But come on. It’s selfish of you to keep her?

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“Lucky 7,” a female pit bull rescued from fallen Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was killed last Friday in Florida when she was struck by a car.

The dog was one of three that were fostered by Smyrna tattoo artist Brandon Bond and his organization, Atlanta Pitbull Rescue. The dog was eventually adopted by a man in Florida.

According to Bond, Lucky 7 was used as a “breeding dog” on the Vick property where rape stands were discovered, which are benches used in forced breeding and torture. Her face and legs were covered with scars from puncture wounds and tears from teeth where she had obviously been attacked by the males during breeding and fighting. She was pregnant when she was confiscated, and lost the puppies when she was spayed by veterinarians with the U.S. Justice department.

“She was so happy, full of life, curious, and not afraid of anything,” Bond said. “She never showed one single sign of aggression, or unhappiness, it was like she had forgotten the horrors of her past entirely. Today is a sad day for animal lovers everywhere.”

Lucky 7 escaped from her yard on Friday, and was struck by a car. The motorist stopped and drove the dog to an animal hospital, but it died en route.

“She finally got to be a dog, for the first time in her life,” Bond said. “She was happy, her new dad gave her the best six months of her life, and I know she was grateful for it, I could see it in her smile. She even slept in his bed with him. It’s a terrible loss.”

(Photo courtesy Atlanta Pitbull Rescue)

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Michael Ellis is the founder and director of Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort. AWARE helps injured and distressed urban wildlife at its facility in Lithonia.

Ellis got involved with wildlife through his work as a builder. “I built some gibbon ape habitats at Yerkes.”

In Belize with a Yerkes primatologist, Ellis met a couple from Washington state who rescued wildlife at their home: “I moved to Washington to volunteer [for them]. I had $700 and my Chevy S-10.”

On the animals he rescues now: “At any wildlife center, birds are 70% of the intake. But it’s everything – hummingbirds, eagles, mice, eagles, deer, possums, squirrels.”

“Roaming cats are one of the biggest devastators of wildlife in this country. Every free roaming domestic cat kills 200 to 400 wild animals a year.”

The biggest mistake people make with wild animals: “People identify animals [that are by themselves] as orphans. They interrupt the most critical training [for these animals.]

To which animals is Ellis most attached? “The ones least likely to survive, because I’m forced to spend more time with them than any other animal.”

“If I had to pick a favorite animal native to North America, it’d probably be a wolf because they represent all the good and all the bad that’s ever happened in this country.”

On releasing a rehabilitated animal into the wild: “Every time I release an animal, it almost makes me cry. Almost, every time.”

Do the animals he rescues socialize? “Birds put up with each other. The young ones interact. If you put an orphaned red-tailed hawk with an adult, there’s good chance the adult will feed the baby.

Yeah, but do hawks play basketball: “No, they don’t play basketball.”

On his father, George Ellis: “ He had the first spoof late night horror satire show in Atlanta on WAGA-TV in the 60s called Big Movie Shocker. He and I sang, acted and had [movie] theatres called the Film Forum. We introduced Atlanta to the art flick world.”

(Photo by Dustin Chambers)

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