Thursday, February 25, 2010

How Many Firefighters Does it Take to Rescue a Teapot Puppy?

Four! Not only that, but the four firefighters rushed to the scene to free this puppy from the clutches of an evil teapot! Actually, they thought a person had gotten trapped in a teapot, which would have been impressive.

This is a cute story, but I wonder why they called emergency officials. A gentle tapping of a hammer would have sufficed. That is besides the point (geez Rinalia, way to ruin the moment)- that puppy is adorable and was clearly in love with the coconut chai tea in that teapot.

However, that is not a Bull Mastiff puppy*. Under New Zealand law, technically that puppy should be muzzled at all times, since American Pit Bull Terriers and their mixes are all labeled menacing dogs, along with three breeds that probably do not exist frequently in New Zealand.

The muzzle is to prevent them from eviscerating antique teapots.

*According to this article, the dog is a Bull Mastiff Pit Bull cross.

7 comments:

Mommyof2girlz/StephD said...

Aww what a sweetie and a great story thanks for sharing!

Maureen said...

Too sweet!

But they should really name the pup Tempest... you know, a tempest in a teapot... :)

KG said...

Such a cute story omg. Thanks for posting it. Question: How can you tell it's an APBT as opposed to a Bull Mastiff pup? I often have difficulty telling the bully breeds apart in photos when they're still puppies. Also, I second the idea of naming him Tempest. That's inspired. :p

Unknown said...

@Mommyof2girlz: Total sweetie!

@Maureen: That would have been cute!

@KG: A bull mastiff would have a shorter snout, more wrinkles, a rounder head, and a more "mastiffy" appearance. A 10-week-old Bull Mastiff would be bigger too. I could be totally wrong, but I'm pretty sure that dog is not a mastiff.

KG said...

Cool, thanks for the clarification. That definitely makes sense about the more "mastiffy" head. Once you pointed that out, I remembered a few instances of mastiff-breed puppies at the shelter, and they did have wrinklier heads and noticeably bigger jowls. I'm trying to get better at identifying the bully breeds on sight, just for my own edification.

Also I'm taking a break from school and job-hunting and I'm trying to get a job at some kind of humane organization instead of going back into hospital work. Btw, as a rescue/humane org employee yourself, if you have any super-sekrit tips for working in the field, I'd love to hear 'em. PAWS Chicago has a couple of openings, but the opportunities seem relatively (and understandably) thin on the ground for animal work. And sorry for the mini-bio on myself there; I just thought you might have some insider knowledge about how to get The Best Humane/Rescue Work Ever. (I dunno, would you have to kill me if you told me?)

Unknown said...

@KG: LOL, yes I would have to kill you! :) Just kidding. I got into animal work through volunteering. If you have any hands-on experience with animals already, that's awesome. It will come in handy. If not, I would really encourage you to get some before applying to animal welfare orgs. Having that experience can help staffers go from "Oh, she JUST started wanting to work w/ animals" to "Wow, she's putting her words into action."

And often, volunteering can lead to employment.

Check our animalsheltering.org for job opportunities as well.

Don't know if that was helpful at all. I think we all have different ways of finding our niche - what worked for me may not work for someone else (I was an annoyingly persistent volunteer). :)

KG said...

That's actually very helpful, thanks for the tips (and for sparing my life!). I especially appreciate the website - I didn't know that existed.

For two years, I volunteered about 8 hours a week at the humane society in WI. I've driven a couple of dog transports, I have my own dogs, and I had a horse and did equestrian sports until I was about a senior in high school. The volunteering was by far the most enlightening, so I'm hoping that will help my application. In your experience, might that be enough background to make it reasonable for me to apply for a humane society/shelter/rescue position? I'm definitely applying to admin/office/public education positions at these places, not just an exclusively 'direct animal contact' job.

Since I moved to Chicago in Sept., I haven't found a volunteering position. If I don't get a humane org job, I'm definitely going to find a shelter/rescue here so that I can start again and maybe, like you said, that'll help me eventually move into the field.

Thanks again for answering my questions! I'm always such a nosebag, asking things nonstop, when I comment on your blog, and you've been unfailingly kind about taking the time to answer. So: triple-thanks!

Between that and your photography, I gotta say this is my favorite dog/animal-blog. The PNOD is irresistible.