.Corolla Wild Horse Tragedy.

So for as long as I can remember the Corolla Wild Horses have been apart of my life. My family has been involved with the Corolla Wild Horse Fund and when I was just a baby my family banded together and built a beach house down at the very end of Corova beach, just feet from the Virginia border. I have so many wonderful memories from that house and that beach. Of course now, just like every other part of the Outer Banks, Corova beach is slowing being built up by monstrosities houses.

When I would visit our beach house, nicknamed "The Hut" I would love waking up to the crazy rooster next door that did not just crow at dawn but ALL day long and then looking out the window and/or front door and seeing a horse or two. One summer, my grandfather was cutting the grass and felt a nudge/tap on his shoulder and assumed it was my grandmother and was astonished to turn around and see a wild horse standing there just saying Hey! These animals are amazing to me and as most of you may know I am not that big of a fan of horses anyways because they always tend to buck me off but for some reason these horses do not scare me at all. Anytime they see a camera it's like they stop what they are doing and pose so that you can get that perfect shot. There has never been a report of any Corolla Wild Horse attacking or harming any human or their property and so it brings me to the question, why would a human harm them?

The Corolla Wild Horses are not only endangered but are a treasured icon of the Corolla area of the Outer Banks. This Memorial Day Weekend some rich, prick asshole staying in Corova killed a beautiful stallion who went by the name Spec. He was featured in many of the posters and brochures for the Wild Horses. Sadly the asshole who killed this horse did not even have the guts to finish what they started. They hit his left hind leg and it was reported that it was hit with such force that it was snapped completely in two and the horse was euthanized at 2:30 p.m. on May 23rd. There were ATV tracks all around where the horse was originally seen on the beach at 6:43 a.m. It is possible that ATV’s were being used to chase the horse and then hit him. Residents reported hearing ATV’s tearing around at 1 and 2 a.m. With this information I can conclude that the people who hit this innocent creature were most likely WASTED and that is no excuse. I just can not fathom causing harm to any animal let alone hurting and then leaving it to suffer and die. This AMAZING horse drug himself up over the dunes over a mile from where he was first seen. I have no words to describe what the last few hours were like for Spec. He did not want to die and he fought and struggled long and hard, poor boy he must have been terrified! Back in 2007 someone shot one of the wild horses and there have been many, many other shootings and the shooter has never been found. Then in April of this year there was yet another hit and run where the horse was left to suffer. When the horse was found he was literally shaking from the effort of holding himself up...he knew if he went down he wouldn't be able to get back up again This is completely uncalled for. No animal should suffer needlessly.

FYI: Spec is the horse that is in the center of this picture.

If you have any information about these tragedies, there is a town meeting at the Corolla Firehouse at 5:30 PM today. Please CLICK HERE to join the fight in saving and protecting these beautiful creatures and if you are regular blogger, CLICK HERE to follow the Corolla Wild Horse Fund's blog.

.....FYI, I have been crying the whole time writing this not only cause I find this story so upsetting and repulsing but I am so pissed that some stupid tourist would do something so cruel. And then people wonder why the locals hate them so much when they come here...

.I Love Big Cats.

Ok, so ever since I can remember I have always wanted a BIG cat. I have this dream of one day owning a large piece of land and rescuing cubs and raising them to be released back into the wild or be put in a zoo or another kind of animal preservation program. I think that this would be the coolest thing in the world and I am not picky on the cat. I would take a lynx, jaguar, cheetah, tiger, lion....anything. I love them all. I know this is a far fetched dream, but hey you never know I could win the lottery or something ;).
Well a few months ago a friend forwarded me the link this video on youtube about a lion named Christian who was raised by two best friends in london during the 1960's and once he was to big for them to care for and was released into the wild and they went to go check up on him a year later, the lion remembered them!!! Now of course I bawled like a baby the first time I watched it.....ok, I lie, I still cry everytime I watch it. But today on the Today show they ran this story and had the two friends on the show promoting their new book about Christian and I lost it. I want this so bad and incase you have not seen the youtube video, here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU6AjvibF50

and this one actually tells the story but the quality sucks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDZaWgf_bk0&feature=related

.Dog Fighting.

Everyone is giving poor little pit bulls bad raps these days and it's beginning to really aggravate me. First you have the lady whose two pit bulls killed the neighbors lab and had to be put down and now this! Like I do everyday at noon, I was watching the news today and heard a rather disturbing story right out of Gates County. Officials say that dogfighting is a growing problem in this area and they are doing everything they can to stop it! It's just too close to home.

The Gates County Sheriff found two dead dogs and four alive, but malnourished. These animals were being kept in small cages and were tied to heavy chains. They also seized 13 dogs under court order yesterday morning. Eleven pit bulls and two rottweilers, but the owner...no where to be found. A 15 pound chain was found on a 25 pound dog. The chain is used to make the dog's muscles stronger. To make matters worse the officers seized bottles of dog vitamins and steroids. Among other disturbing things confiscated from the crime scene include a goat horn that was used to pry open the locked jaws of two dogs and appears red due to dried blood also a wooden treadmill where the dogs would be placed with a dangling animal carcass in front of them and the dog would run on the mill to catch thus making them stronger and faster.

This morning the owner finally turned himself in and faces one felony count of Dogfighting, 13 misdemeanor counts of Animal Cruelty and three counts of Not Properly Disposing of Animal Carcases. When asked about the evidence found on his property he said he knew nothing about it! His bond is set $16,500, so I am pretty sure he is not going anywhere anytime soon, but STILL! Now let me explain to you the animal carcases part of his charges because this is the part the really pissed me off. This jackass had three burnt dog carcases in a bag that they found on his property that investigators are saying appears that the dogs who did not survive the fights were doused in gasoline and burnt!!!! Are you kidding me!?! How can you do that and sleep at night!?

The seized dogs are being kept at the Chowan County animal shelter and sadly many have scars, appear weak from malnutrition, and one appears to have a broken leg. Four of the dogs that were seized were considered aggressive and had to be euthanized. :(

.Doggy Day Care.

So today I officially felt what I believe I am looking forward to by being a mommy. It all started by being woken up at the crack of dawn by Keller, who is still recovering from his surgery he went through yesterday. He is freaking out because Quinn's dad had brought over their new pit-bull puppy Daisy for me to watch today. Both dogs are precious little angels while Quinn and his dad are here at the house but as soon as they leave, the dogs start playing and going nuts. Which is cool because I figure they will play and tire themselves out and sleep all day. Oh no, so wrong.

First, I am trying to get ready to go to the doctors this morning and I am tripping over two dogs playing and dog toys that have been dropped in various places throughout my house. Daisy then jumps up on our bed and waits for Keller to walk by and jumps on his back. I think this is cute so I let her keep doing it while I am straightening my hair, but as I go to make my bed before I leave the house I notice that little miss Daisy peed on my bed!!! So, I am already running late but I have to strip by bed down and take the sheets downstairs to wash them. Strike One.

After returning from the doctors, the dogs once again go nuts and play obnoxiously while I am trying to get some work done for the brochure businesses in the office. All of a sudden I smell shit. I searched the whole house and can not find the source of this stomach curdling smell. About 20 min later in the corner of the hall way by the front door I spot it. A little pile of poop, which of course comes from Daisy cause Keller could never have something that small come out of him. So I discipline her and go on trying to watch Marley and Me. Every time a dog barks or makes noises on the TV Keller barks or whines back, which is normally cute but today just is not the day. I feel like hell due to the on going morning sickness that I still experience 7 months into this dern pregnancy. Strike Two.

I start feeling better and know that if I get up and start cleaning I will feel 100% better. I don't know why I love to clean but I do. So, I get through the kitchen and one bathroom and I am on the second bathroom when I hear what sounds like a dam breaking loose in the hallway. As I come around the corner its Keller going to the bathroom. He unloaded what looked like a gallon of piss. Strike Three.

This is it, and I crack. I understand he is healing from surgery but this dog knows better then to pee in my house. I guess he did it to get back at Daisy for doing it. I don't know, dogs have weird minds. No sooner do I get that somewhat cleaned up but then Daisy pees right next to that spot. Now my normally fresh clean smelling house reeks of shit and piss. Needless to say, I had to run up to the store to go get some carpet cleaning stuff to get the god awful smell up.

So for now the house is back to normal but I am just waiting for one of these two dogs to do something else wrong, but while at the store I got them each a nice treat which seems to be keeping them occupied quite well. Good thinking;). All this makes me wonder how people can juggle twins, triplets, etc. Because after just one day with a puppy and a 2 year old dog, I have had enough so I can only imagine what a human is going to be like.....oh the joys to look forward to! ;)