Interview with Author Michelle Sathe

Today, we bring you an interview with Michelle Sathe, author of Pit Stops Crossing the Country with Loren the Rescue Bully.

A brief description of the book (taken from the back cover):
When journalist and animal welfare advocate Michelle Sathe turns 40, she bypasses a midlife crisis for a great American road trip. But this isn’t just any road trip…along for the ride is Loren, a young female pit bull whom Sathe fell in love with while volunteering at The Brittany Foundation dog rescue in Southern California. Sathe and Loren set out to explore 29 states in 50 days, for a whirlwind sampling of regional cuisine, historic landmarks, and just plain fun. Mile by mile, whether they’re avoiding Ohio due to breed specific legislation or making the unlikeliest of friends in the Deep South, Sathe and Loren forge a bond that only 24/7 togetherness can create. Their exploits take readers along on an unforgettable journey filled with laughter, sadness, insight, and ultimately, hope.

How did you get started writing?
My writing career started when I took on a company newsletter as an executive assistant. I really liked putting together short stories about the business and its employees.

Then, I moved to Shanghai in 1999 for 15 months, where I entered a poetry contest for an English-language magazine and won. When they advertised for a copy editor, I applied, got the job and offered to start writing restaurant , music and movie reviews.

Subsequently, I was a PR manager for a couple of Western restaurants in China, which required writing press releases, so by the time I got back to the US I had international experience and was able to score a public relations job in the nutritional supplement industry.

My journalism career started while I was in public relations. A friend of mine gave an article I had done, appropriately enough, on a local rescue to the publisher she worked for and he started hiring me as a freelancer. Eventually, he took over The Signal newspaper in Santa Clarita and offered me a full-time job as a features writer.

It’s been kind of an unusual career trajectory, as I’ve had no formal training and do not have a journalism degree (or any college degree or that matter). But I find, if there’s a will, there’s a way, especially if you work hard.


What inspired you to write this book?
I’d always wanted to write a book and take the great American road trip, so when I turned 40 in May 2009, I thought it would be an ideal opportunity to do both.

At first, I was planning to take my own dog Buster, but then, after volunteering at The Brittany Foundation, I realized the dogs there needed a vacation way more than mine did.

So, I chose Loren, who I’d fallen in love with, and crowned her bully ambassador. Loren inspired me to find out the truth about what was happening to pit bulls and homeless pets across the country.


What was the most uplifting experience on your trip?
Meeting the many people who work tirelessly to give pit bulls and bully breeds a second chance. There are a lot of them in America and they’re incredible human beings.



What was the most heartbreaking experience of the trip?
Realizing just how big the problem is and that it’s everywhere, from urban to rural areas. In some cities, bully breeds make up 80 to 90 percent of the dogs in shelters and most of them don’t make it out alive.

There are people who fight these dogs, breed them and/or mistreat them. It’s overwhelmingly sad and hard to digest how humans can be so cruel and how many innocent animals die because of irresponsibility, neglect or worse.


How did most people react to Loren?
I’d say 90 percent of people were positive and would come up to us to tell us about their own pit bulls or the pit bull they had as a kid. The other 10 percent would either avoid us, sometimes crossing the street to do so, or outright act as if they were scared. It was very strange to me, that people can be so prejudice against dogs. Loren still has her ears and, in my opinion, looks like a sweet little marshmallow.

In a strange sense, though, there’s some security in the fact that people can be a bit scared of bully breeds, at least when you’re a woman traveling alone across country. I felt very confident that no one was going to mess with me and no one did…and we passed through some fairly shady places.



How did you find the overall attitude about “pit bulls” as you crossed the country?
It was mixed. Many people, as I stated above, love pit bulls and think they’re great dogs. The minority were negative. However, we also came across people that bred bullies and someone I suspected, later on, may have been a dog fighter. These dogs are obviously not seen as family pets and that breaks my heart.


Can we look forward to another book from you in the future?
Yes, actually, I’m hitting the road to promote Pit Stops on May 9 and will also gather material for Pit Stops 2: Adventures with Kara.

Kara is a three year old female bully that was bred, dumped at a killshelter and slated for death before a volunteer named Kyle Harris saved her. Kyle has a foster kennel in her garage and kindly agreed to let me take Kara on the road. Hopefully, her story will have a happy ending like Loren’s.

Anyway, in between signings, Kara and I will go camping and meet with new rescuers, so that will be book fodder. Look for Pit Stops 2 in the summer of 2012.



You volunteer at the Brittany Foundation. What drew you to that rescue?
In 2008, I was a producer for SCVTV and ended up doing the on-air for a segment on The Brittany Foundation. I had been looking for a place to volunteer, but couldn’t do so at a shelter, where dogs are killed. It would be too hard for me.

The Brittany Foundation is a no-kill rescue. It was really clean and the dogs were well taken care of. During the taping, I had fallen for Loren and a crazy little terrier named Roxy, so I inquired about how I could help. Within a week, I was cleaning out kennels and walking dogs. Now I’m a board member and volunteer coordinator.

We’ve made a lot of improvements over the last few years and attracted a lot of new volunteers, so I’m really happy about how the Brittany Foundation family has grown. While it’s not ideal for any dog to be at a rescue for months, years or their whole lives, the dogs at Brittany Foundation really have a lot of love and better living conditions than many dogs that are in “homes.”

Additionally, I’m a board member and the PR director for Bow-Wows & Meows, a non-profit which hosts an annual pet fair for L.A. County shelter animals. Last year, we adopted out 155 dogs and cats in five hours. The founder, Yvonne Allbee, is now one of my best friends and the board is incredibly dedicated. I’m honored to be a part of it.


How many dogs do you have? What breeds/ages?
I am the proud mother of two bully breeds, both of whom I found as strays. I tried to find their owners, but, surprise surprise, they were never claimed.

Sam showed up on my porch Christmas Day 2000, after initially coming up to me and my pack during our morning walk. He is now 11 years old and, I suspect, an American Bulldog/pit mix.

Buster I found while covering a story at a shopping center. He was wandering around the parking lot, a little brindle puppy with one ear sticking up. Buster is now six and I believe he’s a Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix of some kind.

I love them both dearly and appreciate that they don’t get mad when I spend time to help other dogs who are less fortunate. At least, I think they don’t. They have a pretty nice life in the mountains.


If you don't have a copy of Pit Stops yet, you're missing out! You can purchase the book HERE. $1 from every purchase goes to benefit The Brittany Foundation (so you get to feel extra good about spending money!).

A Conclusion to the Bob Saga

For those of you that don't know the Bob Saga, it starts here and continues here.

Bob was not going to go into a trap. I figured that out within two days of having one. Since he was so terribly skinny, I couldn't afford to continue starving him in hopes that he would go in. Instead, I pulled out a crate. I started feeding him right at the mouth of the crate. The next meal, I moved it just a bit farther back. Each day, I would move the meals until he had to go all the way into the crate to eat. This took me four days. On the third day, he was eating all the way inside, but would not go in with me next to it. Yesterday, he starting going in with me right there. This took incredible patience. It meant I had to be present for every meal - at the beginning and through it.

Last week, Bob started letting me pet him. After a day of petting, he started seeking me out. He would wander into our yard when he knew Lily was in the house and wait for me. When I would come out, he would run to me. Such a sweet, sweet boy. I was as smitten as he was becoming.

Unlike my ferals, Bob would come out during the day. In two weeks time, he warmed up to me and sought me out. This told me he used to be someone's pet. By the condition of him, I felt that he had been outside for some time. He was a "hot mess." His fur was matted, he was missing teeth and his mouth was full of puss. After a particularly bad day yesterday, I decided I had to just grab him. I taught this morning, came home this afternoon to him waiting for me (see picture above where he was asleep on the carrier). I put food in, he went all the way in and I shut the door.

Off to the vet we went. My husband met us there because he was curious as to what the outcome would be. We were worried. Would he had kidney failure? Would the vet recommended euthanisia because he was so ill? We crossed our fingers and hoped for the best. The vet tech scanned him for a microchip just in case.

He had one.

They told us not to get our hopes up because they had seen this happen over and over lately - families moving and leaving their pets behind on the streets. My husband told them to stress that we wanted to keep Bob so that the family would be honest. If they didn't want him, he had a home with us. We didn't want them to lie and have him end up back on the street without the vet care he desperately needed.

Bob's real name is Lily (what are the chances?). He was a she. She was being missed terribly by a grieving owner who was leaving food out and setting traps every night in hopes of recovering her after a handyman let her out.

They lived across the street from us and down three houses.

Many people believe that cats can always find their way home. They can't. Even when they are that close to home. Microchips save lives. They reunite pets with their owners. Lily has a very happy ending. All it took was some compassion, patience and responsible owners who had their beloved pet microchipped.

I miss her. But I'm glad she's home!

Wait - You WALK Your CAT?!?

You may recognize Mia from our website. She's currently starring in our FLASH rotation with a cat fact.

Today, we bring you an interview with Mia's person, Melissa!



What is your cat's name?
My cats actual name is Mia Sidewalk but we just call her Mia.

How old is she?
She'll be two years old in a couple of months.

Does she have a favorite toy?
Mia plays with absolutely everything, even my books. She entertains herself very easily so it's hard to know what's her favorite. If I had to hazard a guess though, I'd say she doesn't love anything more than cardboard. But especially cardboard
boxes. She meows constantly if I don't keep her cardboard box on my bed.


Favorite nap spot?
I'd say the cardboard box on my bed or on my fuzzy blanket (which she thinks is hers).

Favorite food?
Mia absolutely loves these flash frozen chicken treats that I buy her. When she sees that red bag filled with chicken goodness, she runs as fast as she can to whoever's holding it.

We heard a rumor that you walk Mia. Is this true?
Yes. It's true. (Don't feel bad if you're still skeptical, everyone Mia and I see on our walks either goes "Awe!" or stares in utter disbelief.)

Why did you start walking her?
I started walking her because Mia lived outside on her own for about two months when she was a kitten (she ran away from an abusive home) before a friend of my sisters captured her and my family took her in. She was used to being outside but we have so many coyotes and other wild animals in our area that it's really dangerous for a cat to be outside on their own. I tried to let her outside without a leash and just keep an eye on her and follow her around but she'd get spooked from a car passing by or other people and I'd have to run after her. After several failed attempts at that, I tried keeping her inside but she'd wail and she was miserable. I really didn't see any other option.

How often do you walk?
I try to walk her everyday. (If I don't or forget for even a moment, she'll sit at the door and meow.)

Was it easy at first? Or did it take her awhile to get used to the leash?
No! It definitely wasn't. She freaked out the first time I put the harness on. I left it on her for about a minute before taking it off. I had to keep putting on the harness and increasing the time with it slow enough she didn't get upset. Once she was used to the harness I added the leash. When I first started taking her on walks she'd crawl along the ground. Back then our walks mostly consisted of me picking her up, walking for a bit and letting her down where she'd sniff things and not really move. We developed a reward system. If she sniffed for more than a couple seconds I'd pick her up and wouldn't let her back down for a couple minutes. Eventually she got the gist and started walking for longer and more. The last couple months she's actually been running on the leash.

It took a while but it's worth it. She gets to be outside and I get to know that she's safe.

Tell us your favorite thing about Mia...
My favorite thing about Mia is that she is so expressive. She has a different meow for everything: when she wants food, her litter
changed, attention, a walk, etc, etc, etc.



Our favorite thing about Melissa's cat? Her hidden talent. She's very good at making signs. Here she is caught in the act.











And here she is posing for a picture with the final product.


Now THAT is one sweet cat. Our pets are what we make them, though, so at least partial credit has to go to Melissa.











Mia wants to know...
Do YOU have a favorite pet?

FuN FrIdAy

Happy Friday, everyone!

This week, moved as slow as a tortoise. I felt like the kitten in this video.



What I wouldn't give to have this little dog:

The Bob Saga

I was disappointed that I didn't get Bob in a trap or a carrier this morning. That poor old guy needs some vet help. Instead, one of my cats had to take one for the team and go to the vet appointment this morning. My vet was kind enough to discuss Bob's situation with me. She decided the best course of action at the moment would be oral antibiotics in drop formula to be mixed in with a little food.



Naturally, he turned his nose up at wet food today. He did eat some Friskies kibble, though. Now before you chastise me for feeding this horrible quality food, let me explain. My own cats eat high quality kibble. Bob gets to eat whatever he wants because he weighs maybe five pounds and is an adult cat. At this point, I need to get whatever meat on his little bones that I can. If this means I have to feed him junk food, so be it. I can make the switch to higher quality kibble later on down the line. I was able to get one dose of Clavamox down him this evening by mixing the Friskies kibble with wet food and the medication. It was heavy on the Friskies.



On the exciting front, he rubbed me when I bent down next to him this afternoon. He also let me pet him twice! When I came into the house, I would look out and he would be in my front yard waiting. He walked me halfway to my car when I ran an errand and waited for my return. Then, the gardeners came...and there went Bob into hiding. I've been able to coax him out briefly to eat but the sky has dark clouds and it's starting to feel like rain. I fear that he is hunkering in for the night.



I will give off trying to trap him for the moment. The important thing now will be to gain his trust and get some weight on him. I think if I work with him daily, I can have him trusting me enough to get him into a carrier on his own next week. If all else fails, I can drop a laundry basket on him, slide some plywood under him and duct tape it. It's an old trapping trick when all else fails. The problem with this method is that the cat might be so freaked out (yes, that's a technical term) that we have to sedate him for the examination. This runs risks given his age and health. We'll be weighing all the options more next week.



For now, keeping sending good vibes, mojo, prayers Bob's way. The poor little guy needs all the luck he can get. He's relatively safe but he could be much safer. He's out of the wind and rain under a house, but he could be warmer inside mine with the heater on. He deserves no less!



On a side note: I got Pip microchipped at the vet today. Bob has reminded me that sometimes accidents happen. Cats get out, get lost and need some help getting home. It cost a whopping $65. If you get a cat from the shelter for $80, they come spayed/neutered, shots and microchip! Quite the bargain. If your pet isn't microchipped, you can sometimes get a deal on weekend clinics at Pet Smart/Co or your local shelter should do one for $25. If your cat lives 15 years, that's a little over a dollar a year to be sure they get back to you. Only 3% of cats who get lost ever make it home. By microchipping Pip, I've given her a great shot at being one of the 3%. See Al's story here to find out how microchips save lives.

Wednesday Postponed

I'm taking Bob the stray kitty to the vet this morning. We have an 11am appointment. I'll be blogging about the first day of the rest of his life when I get home!

Stay Tuned!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Our outdoor thermometer tonight reads 48 degrees. That may not sound cold to you, but the animals who will be outside in that overnight might disagree. Contrary to popular belief, their fur coats don't keep them warm anymore than us standing outside in a thin jacket overnight would. They feel the cold just as much as we do. Some of them feel it more.

During these cold months, it's hard for us to stay warm. Imagine how much harder it is for a dog or a cat. They can't go slip on a jacket when the temperature drops or grab a throw blanket for their back. The cooler weather aggravates joint pain so older dogs and cats suffer more, especially if they are outdoors overnight in this weather.

Many people think the garage will shield them, but the cold seeps and they get extremely cold during the winter. Cement floors are more like ice blocks, locking in the cold. Dampness permeates blankets even in a garage. Once damp, they don't dry out completely, offering no comfort to the animals who need them. Pets can suffer and die from exposure to the cold after being left in the garage. Garages often harbor other dangers as well. Sharp tools and poisonous chemicals are stored in the garage. A bored dog looking to fill his time may get injured investigating these things. Your dog could get loose when you open the garage door or you might accidentally run over him while parking your car.

Some people think their dog house is enough shelter for their dogs. Again, blankets get damp and don't dry out. Some dog houses, like igloos, leak during the rain. Your dog ends up opting for the cold concrete or ground next to his dog house instead of the cold, wet blankets inside them. Some breeds are more susceptible to climate change than others. Small dogs and short-coated breeds such as Chihuahuas and Pit Bulls don’t tolerate cold weather very well even with an insulated shelter.

If you are caring for feral cats, below are some links to help you get them through the winter months:

Coming in From the Cold
Feral Cat Winter Shelter Ideas

It's best to bring your pets inside the house with you at night. They deserve to sleep where it's warm. This will also prevent illness, saving you on vet bills.