The Sweetest Cherry

The show Dogtown (one of Turbo's favorites, airing on the National Geographic Channel) premiered this season with the two-hour episode "Saving the Michael Vick Dogs." The program was equal parts heart-wrenching and heart-warming. Dogtown is not only a show but also a part of the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the nation, the Best Friends Animal Society Sanctuary. Located on 3000 sprawling acres of beautiful scenic canyon country in Kanab, Utah it's a haven not just for dogs, but also cats, horses, pigs, birds and many other cuddly creatures in need.

Cherry , the adorable pit bull pictured here is one of dogs featured in the show. He was one of 22 pit bulls seized from the wretched dogfighting training camp owned by Michael Vick last year and sent to be rehabilitated at Dogtown. Cherry had been so traumatized by his past experiences and fearful of people that he couldn't even walk on a leash when he first arrived at the refuge. He just flattened to the ground and his caretakers would have to carry him. When Cherry finally started walking, it was in a very low-crouching, skulking manner. It was heartbreaking to watch this beautiful creature who was virtually paralyzed as a result of the actions of those who should have been his biggest defenders, rather than his biggest detractors. But the folks at Dogtown have worked lovingly and diligently with him, and Turbo is happy to report that Cherry has progressed tremendously in the year since he was rescued. He not only jumps in excitement when he sees his trainers, he's also having play dates with another dog at the shelter. It is their hope that eventually he will be adoptable and they're working towards that end. You need only look at that sweet face and into those lovingly soulful eyes to know that they will achieve this goal.

Cherry is just one of the success stories that came out of a horrible situation. The staff at Best Friends, Dogtown are truly angels to these and many other beautiful pooches. Their organization is supported entirely through donations, so Turbo asks that if you can spare anything to help them keep up their noble work then please do. To donate click on this "link." Turbo thanks you.

SUPER Tuesday - Get out and VOTE!

Tomorrow, Tuesday February 5th is a big day in the country for the presidential race. Twenty-four states will be holding primaries/caucuses with the majority of delegates at stake for both parties. Turbo urges all registered voters in these states to get out and let your 'voice' be heard. It's a right that he doesn't take lightly (since he doesn't have it) and feels it's every citizen's obligation to exercise that right. Whether you're voting for Hillary Clinton, Obama or .... one of the others (?) be sure that you get out there and vote. Turbo wants a change and a better leader for us though and is encouraging everyone he can get a hold of to vote for change. He's had enough of the current president, his administration and all that it stands for. But whatever your views, please get out and vote. It is your right. It is your duty. And, Turbo will bite you in the ass if you don't!

THE GIANTS WIN SUPERBOWL XLII!

Turbo has a huge grin on his face because his team, the New York Giants won Superbowl XLII tonight! What a great game! He was on the edge of his seat the whole game (well .... except for the lame half-time "show"). Turbo's a big fan and knew they would pull out the win despite all the naysayers. So much for the Pats' 19-0* season. GO GIANTS!!!!

Turbo & Lucy

Bad Turbo!

Please take a look at the photos accompanying this post. They are of young Turbo and his "work." For the most part he's a great dog and complaints aren't warranted. However, every now and then when left to his own devices he's just not the best behaved pup around. The picture below is of a fabric sample that Turbo thought wasn't quite right and "re-imagined" it for his dads. The image above is of the bad dog with his handy work, complete with a guilty look on his face. Please note the chew toys (one nylabone & one rubber squeaker) in the midst of the textile carnage. How ironic. He's just not fond of being left alone and he let's his dad's know this in his own, not so unique nor unsubtle way. This sample from Donghia is just one victim in a long line of Turbo's frustrations. Others include his dog bed, a sofa cushion, newspapers, magazines, you name it. It's puzzling why he would feel so "abandoned" when left alone for a few hours here and there when he has company most of the time as he lives in a home/office. And when Turbo is left alone he gets extra-special handling in the form of a couple of great dog treats and soothing music. One can only hope it's an age thing that will disappear in the near future. Until then, his dads are thankful that at least he's selective in what he chooses to destroy and, knock on wood, doesn't go for anything of real value. But no matter what, his dads will love him mo' than their luggage.

WOOF! - Get me off of this diet!

Woof, woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof. Woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof! Woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof. Woof WOOF!
Oops .... looks like Turbo started this one on his own and some translation is needed. You see, he's had enough of the diet he's been put on. And apparently he just can't take it anymore. Similar to many people needing a change of bad eating habits, Turbo had to turn over a new leaf before the new year as he'd packed on a few too many extra pounds. He's not alone as 25 - 40 percent of dogs in this country are deemed overweight or obese. It's worse for the overweight or obese human population as they number more than 60 percent. YIKES! So, not unlike Valerie Bertinelli and Kirstie Alley before her he sought the help of professionals, but not Jenny Craig. No, his diet has been courtesy of Wellness dog foods' Weight Management Super 5 Mix. He's lost the weight, is maintaining the loss and is ready to get back to "normal food" as he calls it. Unfortunately he can't quite understand that he needs to be more active again before the diet can change. He is ruled by his stomach though, as most dogs (and humans) are. Turbo's given treats throughout the day so hopefully they will help to ease his misery. A new toy won't hurt either so it's a trip to the pet store tomorrow! He'll be so pleased .... we hope. Woof!

Loss

Poor Turbo is a little sad today. The news of actor Heath Ledger's passing has him feeling a little blue and missing his big sis and best friend, Lucy.

Since the day he came to his new home Lucy was his constant companion, mentor, playmate. They were inseparable despite the almost nine year age difference. Sadly, dear sweet Lucy was diagnosed with cancer early last year. She ultimately succumbed to the disease in October after putting up a valiant battle and by far surpassing the time the doctors had given her. The days leading up to Lucy's passing Turbo sensed that she wasn't doing so well (nor were her dads for that matter). He would just calmly lie next to her, close enough so that he could smell her, touch her and comfort her. The morning that she went, he once again laid next to her for as long as he could. His dads were distraught over the loss but were thankful that Turbo could be there to comfort them. He still misses Lucy a lot, but takes solace in the fact that she's in a better place where she's smiling, running, chasing tennis balls and climbing trees like she did before her illness. And the thought that he'll eventually see her again makes him feel a little better.

Turbo sends his condolences, thoughts and prayers to Heath's family. He hopes that at this time they are surrounded and comforted by loved ones and that in time they too will feel less sad. Time, and the support of family and friends, heals all wounds, even those of the heart.
Turbo would also like you to know there are organizations that are working towards curing canine cancer that need your support. Two in particular are the National Canine Cancer Foundation and the Morris Animal Foundation, Canine Cancer Campaign. Any help you can give them will help to fund research that can eradicate this disease that affects 1 in every 4 dogs. Please help.

Little dogs

It's hard to believe the photos here are of Turbo when he was only 4 months old. So adorably cute, don't you think? He wasn't tiny, but he was a LOT smaller than the 90+ pound behemoth he's become. The transformation into his present size happened in such a short amount of time that he still acts like he's a little dog at times, like trying to sit in everybody's laps. The result is a little ridiculous to say the least. Let's face it .... Turbo is not a lap dog!
He has always had an affinity for diminutive dogs. In the elevator, on the street or at the dog run, - he can't get enough of them! One theory is that he still thinks he's little. And he's a big softie even though he sometimes has a scary bark and his bulk is a bit unsettling to small pups. In spite of this fact, he'll trot right up to them and try his best to play with them. They don't always want to but he does luck out on occasion. His cousin Harry, a sweet long-haired chihuahua, came to visit last summer. Turbo couldn't get enough of him! But would he get along with any of the tiny celebrity canines like Paris Hilton's Tinkerbell? If she's anything like her mom, Tink may be a bit too high maintenance for him. But he'd definitely want to check her out nonetheless. Having seen that poor thing trembling uncontrollably, it's doubtful that Turbo could get within ten feet of her though. Of course, Turbo should steer clear of poor Bit Bit, Britney Spears' chihuahua. There's too much crazy there! WHEN WILL THE MADNESS END. SOMEONE SEND HER AWAY WHERE NO ONE CAN FIND HER, PLEASE! For sure, Turbo would love, love, love to meet and hang out with Teddy, Perez Hilton's mini goldendoodle. He's too cute! And Turbo's dad wouldn't mind meeting Perez either (um .... he'd LOVE it). They could discuss the upcoming election, trade recipes, oh .... and discuss Britney of course! Okay, this post has taken a real u-turn so we'll sum it up by saying that for now, Turbo is a little dog trapped in a big dog's body. With time he'll settle into his size and be comfortable with it. But, he'll probably always want to sit in our laps.

Dreaming of long walks ....

This cold snap (and Turbo's not fully healed knee) has curtailed the long walks he looks forward to and loves so much. The photo above is from a trip last summer to Riverside Park in the Upper West Side where his dad used to live. It was the opposite of the current temperature (hot as hell) and he had a ball! Turbo lives in upper Chelsea, away from the big parks but he still loves strolling the streets and visiting his favorite haunts. He does get to the dog runs to exercise too. His favorite is the Chelsea Waterside Run at 11th Avenue and 22nd Street. They've been having trouble with some mystery substances that are causing dog illnesses though so it's a good thing that he can't make that trek right now. Hopefully they'll have the problem cleared up soon. His other fave is the Madison Square Park Dog Run although that's where he hurt his knee. It had nothing to do with the run and everything to do with the 15 extra pounds Turbo was sporting at the time. But now that he's lost the weight he'll be happy to return once the knee is fully healed.
On his neighborhood jaunts he loves to visit the Commerce Bank on 7th Avenue and 26th Street because he's always welcome and they have treats for him (and the BIG one's at that, not the dinky training treats he gets at home). And they're open 7 DAYS A WEEK!!! You can't beat that! Well, that's almost true as another favorite stop is Pet Central. Either the one on Sixth Avenue near 27th Street or the one on 23rd Street, though the Sixth Avenue location is closer to home and the one he gets to most often. It never gets old dropping in to sniff the toys, food and to sneak a lick or two of the rawhide chews. And if there's another dog he can say hi to, what a BONUS! But in any case there's always a treat waiting for him there as well, and he knows it. They are open 7 days a week too. Turbo loves stairs for some unknown reason (although he's forbidden from taking any at the moment) and whenever he gets to visit Universal Gear on 8th Avenue (near 17th Street) he loves bounding up and then barreling down their staircase much to his dad's chagrin. One of the last stops on his long walks is usually the Gap on 8th Avenue & 23rd Street where he loves to sprawl out on the nice, cool, concrete floor. The associates love to say hi to him and he eats up all the attention. They don't have treats but he forgives them for that. Hopefully the weather will turn milder soon so that he can resume his neighborhood rambles and maybe find some new places to drop in.

Who is Turbo?

Not always in drag, Turbo decided to "experiment" with a new look on Halloween last year. As with everybody else on that day (girls dressing provocatively in as little as possible, guys in drag, cat's as dogs ....) he threw on the wig a begged to have his picture taken. We always knew he was .... different, but that solidified it for us. Sure, he squats when he pees and loves other male dogs but we just didn't want to believe it was true. In any case, we accept him for what he is and love him just as much.
But seriously, Turbo is an extremely gassy 3 year old lab/pit mix who dropped into our lives almost 3 years ago. He was small enough to carry at 3 1/2 months old and now is just under 100 pounds - a big boy. He's a sweetie and puts up with a lot of nonsense from his parents and their friends but he also lives the life. Treats and toys. Treats and toys. He's very much loved. Stay tuned for more Turbo tales ....