I Fell in Love with a Pit Bull

LOVE...

April
Photo by Sanjay Sen

April walked into my life when she was about six months old, and I was twenty four. She came as a foster and stayed on. She was a “pit-lab mix” – leaner and taller than the typical American Pit Bull Terrier, with white markings on her chest and paws, and a very strong head. Once she ran into me excited about something – she was clumsy like that – and whoa – that head near about crushed my knee. My knee was never quite the same, but then again, neither was I…

As soon as April came into my life, she hauled my ass out of depression induced by suburbia and the unlikely role of a housewife. Over the years, I would intermittently learn and forget, and relearn, the lessons of love and life that my dog tirelessly taught me.

April passed away on 5 April, ten days shy of turning 11 (or 12) years, with less than a day’s notice. On her last day, she woke up and walked with me to her favorite park, chased the geese, splashed in the Hudson and fetched sticks. Only after that, she slowed down. Unknown to us all, and in spite getting a clean bill of health only weeks before, she had internal bleeding caused by an invasive cancer. She didn't make it through surgery that evening.

Since then not a single day has passed when I haven’t wished that I could smell the flowers, just one more time, with my beloved four-legged companion.

I am biased as I write this post. I am biased because a dog named April, from the feared and misrepresented lineage of “pit bull,” left a mark on my heart forever. She was abused and neglected before she had even turned six months, but she took on life with nothing less than exuberance and joy. Such are dogs, even dogs that have pit bull in them… perhaps, even more so!

I fell in love with a pit bull, and with love comes responsibility. I am writing this blog because a pit bull taught me that all dogs can be loving and capable of being excellent companions. The failures that we attribute to dogs (or breeds) are more often than not, our own failures in training and understanding a dog.

Genetics may play a role in dog behavior, but we engineered the breeds and traits that are now simply too inconvenient for our life styles today. So we have proceeded to blame the dogs and demonized them. We have persecuted breeds through breed specific legislations, which dog behaviorists and scientists have overwhelmingly opposed. We have spent more money condemning specific breeds than researching and understanding dog behavior. A dog named April made me question our collective apathy and arrogance.

What gives us the right to create and destroy at will? If you think about it, it’s not so different from the experience of all other social injustices. You and I have not engineered a breed any more than we have enslaved a people, or destroyed a democracy. But you and I are living in the shadows and consequences of those actions. We have reaped collective benefits or incurred collective hardships from those actions. You, and I, have a choice – we could continue to condemn the dogs, or do something different to make things better for them.

FIVE THINGS I LEARNED ABOUT PIT BULLS

What exactly is a "pit bull"?

Today’s “pit bull” is a catch-all phrase for several different breeds, or combinations thereof. The dogs termed as such rarely belong to the official breed of the “American Pit Bull Terrier." They include Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Stafford Terrier, American Bulldog, Bull Terrier, or several combinations of breeds including these. Herein lies a serious problem – each of these breeds, or dogs containing a mix of some of these breeds, have unique histories, genetic traits and temperaments. Moreover, most of the dogs labeled as “pit bulls” are victims of visual identification that have nothing to do with their true genetic make up.  Many pit bull advocates would insist that we treat the dogs as individuals. They are not speaking from a moral ground. Because of the often unknown genetic make up of these dogs, and because of the varied traits that come with mixed genes, each dog may indeed be unique and have unique set of traits.

In 2009, researchers from Western University of Health Sciences published their findings after comparing the breed identifications made by adoption agencies with DNA analyses of the same dogs.  An overwhelming majority didn’t match. In a second paper published by the same researchers in 2013 showed that 900 professionals and service providers (for dogs) surveyed mostly disagreed with each other when making visual breed identifications of the same dogs, and their opinions did not correlate with the DNA analyses. These dog professionals recorded such identifications in documents that are largely relied upon for data, news, adoption and service provision.

Two separate studies conducted by researchers at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida confirmed the unreliability of visual breed identification used by animal control and shelter service providers. They published a chart that shows how often dogs identified as pit bulls had little or no genetic make up of the same.

The result of this has been grave, for dogs known as “pit bulls.” If 87.5% of dogs have been misidentified by authorities responsible for their care, adoption or service provision, what are we to make of all the data, rhetoric and the breed-specific public policy that have been put in place, since 1980-s, based on such identifications?

Karen Delise, research director for the National Canine Research Council and author of “The Pitbull Placebo,” investigated every fatal dog bite reported in the years between 2002-2005, and found that “eleven dogs involved in fatal attacks with no Pitbull characteristics were counted as Pitbulls, while their ‘true’ breeds were not reported, and three dogs that were clearly not Rottweilers were identified as Rottweilers.” That was among a total of 47 fatal attacks (by all breeds) reported during that period. In some cases, even when a dog involved in an attack was identified as a Labrador mix by animal control officers, the media reported it as a pit bull.

The media has played a crucial role in how we perceive pit bulls today. A study conducted by the National Canine Research Council in 2008 showed that when an Arizona woman was killed by dogs identified as Labrador retrievers, only one local newspaper reported the story. But the same year, when a California man was killed by what was identified as a pit bull, 285 media outlets nationally and internationally covered the story.

Nanny dogs… or not? Where did Pit Bulls come from?

When I first started researching for this blog, I realized that there may not be irrefutable evidence that pit bulls were really called “nanny dogs.” And, skeptics often conclude that even if they were called that, it was in their capacity as formidable guard dogs.

But indeed, the pit bull, if raised and socialized as a normal companion dog is not the best of guard dogs. Any dog can be trained to guard. In fact, this particular function that humans sought and encouraged, has done more harm to dogs than we could imagine. Because in doing so, we expected dogs to protect one human from another, and to discern who was a potential threat and who wasn’t. Often, this expectation did not come with proper training or handling, and dogs were placed in uncertain or ambiguous circumstances.

While we don’t know if the pit bull was truly hailed as a “nanny dog” in old England, what we do know is this: In the 1800’s today’s pit bull looked a lot like the Olde English Bulldog. Some of these dogs were used in England for bull baiting, and later, in 1835, when bull baiting became illegal, dog fighting became a popular replacement. A cross breed of the Olde English Bulldog and terriers was created to have smaller, more agile dogs for this purpose. The dogs were bred selectively to prevent human aggression, and “pit bulls” gained reputation for their obedience and reliability with humans. [More on this here.]

In the 19th century America, “bull dogs”— a catch-all term for pit bull like dogs that immigrated with the settlers— became a popular breed with homesteaders. They were companions to children and families, helped with hunting, and protected their owners from bull and hog attacks (a common problem those days). As cities grew, Pit Bulls migrated to urban environments with their owners and were seen as regular dogs. They showed up in family photos, posters and advertisements. World War I posters displayed the American Pit bull Terrier as proud mascots.

So what changed?

For one thing, life styles changed. Pit bulls (in their glorious mix of breeds) are extremely smart and active dogs. They had to adjust to urban and suburban life styles. Pit bulls need physical AND mental exercise. This is the first thing I learnt when I started fostering April. Her energy and ability to learn was tremendous, and like you would (hopefully) do with a human child with high IQ, you have to find ways of channeling that energy and intelligence.

Karen Delise wrote in her book, “The Bulldog’s image experienced a rather sudden turn in the early 1900s when they left the farms, frontiers and pits and entered into urban apartment houses and began roam- ing in great numbers through city streets. Like the Collie, the Bulldog had much credit in the bank of public opinion in the later part of the 19th century… The Bulldog’s occasional function as a fighting dog influenced the image of the breed negatively to some degree, but the many contributions the Bulldogs had made to early Americans as farm dogs and loyal protectors counteracted their fighting image… As seen time and time again, when a breed becomes exceed- ingly popular, especially if the breed has a negative function attached to it, there will be a significant increase in substandard and unsuitable owners. Such was the dilemma of the Bulldog in the early 1900s…No surprise that we should find the highest number of fatal Bulldog attacks during the height of the Bulldog popularity (1900–1909). And no small surprise these attacks would be found clustered in the large cities, where these animals were often kept in apartment buildings or allowed to roam the city streets”.

Another big shift was how media started portraying them.

Pit bulls were not the only breed to have been maligned by the media. At one time, bloodhounds were believed to be inherently and exceptionally vicious – almost with a Dracula-like penchant for human blood. Eventually the bloodhounds were forgotten, in favor of the new "vicious  breeds"– the German Shepherd, Doberman Pinscher, Mastiffs, Newfoundlands, Siberian huskies… and so on. But as the reach of the media grew, and the way they reported about dogs changed, the “pit bull” took an even harder pit fall.

Fifty years ago, the media reported dogs as “sentient beings that reacted to pain, discomfort, or fear” and reports of dog attacks conveyed the context and understanding of what led to the aggressive incident. Owners and victims’ behaviors, which had caused the dog to attack, were described in the news reports. The style of reporting on dog aggression has changed completely. It has been replaced by sensational accounts of the attack or the injury, and as the Salon noted in their article, “ an almost-single-minded focus on the breed of dogs that turn violent, stripped of any larger context.”

Are pit bulls disproportionately aggressive and dangerous? Are they?

According to the American Veterinary Medicine Association, they are not. The American Temperance Testing Society, which tests thousands of dogs each year, have repeatedly found pit bulls to be a tolerant breed. In fact, according to their latest statistics, more than 86% of pit bulls passed the temperament test. In 2011, they came up as the second most tolerant breed, next to the golden retriever.

If you’ve heard enough pit bull lore, you've probably heard about the infamous “locking jaws” – it's pure myth. Pit bulls do NOT have special locking jaws. They do not exhibit any unusual biting behavior or exert unusual amount of bite force. In fact, tests conducted by National Geographic found they have less bite force than German Shepherds or Rottweilers.

The truth about genetics

Genetics matter, but not in isolation, and it’s not the sole determinant of a dog’s temperament and behavior. As the ASPCA notes: “behavior develops through a complex interaction between environment and genetics. This is an especially important consideration when we look at an individual dog versus a breed. Many diverse and sometimes subtle factors influence the development of behavior, including, but not limited to, early nutrition, stress levels experienced by the mother during pregnancy, and even temperature in the womb. And when it comes to influencing the behavior of an individual dog, factors such as housing conditions and the history of social interactions play pivotal roles in behavioral development. The factors that feed into the expression of behavior are so inextricably intertwined that it’s usually impossible to point to any one specific influence that accounts for a dog becoming aggressive. This is why there is such variation in behavior between individual dogs, even when they are of the same breed and bred for the same purpose. Because of the impact of experience, the pit bull specifically bred for generations to be aggressive may not fight with dogs and the Labrador retriever bred to be a service dog may be aggressive toward people”.

Reading this, if you are wondering, “but you don’t hear or see a Labrador retriever being aggressive,” consider this: we already know the media has successfully portrayed pit bulls as a monster breed capable of more aggression (than a Lab), and over the years it has played a role in popular belief and collective perception; we also see many more pit bull type of dogs in shelters than other breeds (a vicious cycle), and chances are that you’re looking at dogs who have been abused, neglected and abandoned… dogs who have had some of the worst owners, and are stressed.

But let’s get back to genetics. If “pit bulls” have such a varied mix of genetics in them, then they would have just as diverse genetic traits. Also, in the early 1800-s and into 1900s, “pit bulls” were originally bred for multiple purposes. In fact, referred generally as “bulldogs” they functioned as guard dogs, farm dogs, hunting dogs, police dogs, companion dogs, as well as in some cases, fighting dogs. In the 19th century people and the media actually used terms “Bulldog guard dog,” “pet Bull- dog,” “Bulldog used in the pit,” or “farm Bulldog” to distinguish between pit bull type dogs performing these various functions. So while the pit bull you see today may have genes of the Olde English Bulldog, or a pit bull terrier that was bred for fighting, it could just as well have inherited the dominant genes of a “bull dog” that was bred to be a family dog. In addition, the pit bulls you find in the shelter systems are rarely pure bred. They are products of generations of random and cross breeding.

Not that long ago, experts and dog trainers referred to behavioral traits that dogs have inherited from wolves. But as most of us know now, dogs have been domesticated, selectively and randomly bred for too long and dog behavior cannot be understood by comparing them with wolves, based on their genetic lineage. Research has shown that “Dogs clearly have behaviors, phenotypes, and diseases that are not evident in their wild progenitors… Dog breeds have distinct behaviors, and dogs as a whole have unique behaviors not found in gray wolves.” furthermore, recent studies have even concluded that the common ancestor of dogs and wolves went extinct thousands of years ago, and today’s dogs are more related to each other than to wolves.

It’s also worth considering that “some dog breeds are now bred for entirely different jobs than those for which they were originally developed. For example, certain strains of Golden Retrievers are now being bred as service dogs, a far cry from their original job of retrieving downed birds.”

Did you know that pit bulls make excellent therapy dogs? No kidding…

Can a pit bull be a good dog for you?

Remember Michael Vick? Yeah, the douche bag football player that was indicted for having a dogfighting ring. His pit bulls had gone through horrific abuse, and even death. When the dogs were rescued, even the Humane Society believed that they were damaged beyond rehabilitation. Thankfully, some disagreed. The Best Friends Animal Society, based in Utah, took in 22 of the most traumatized pit bulls. Ten of them are now adopted and living with other dogs, cats and kids! Check out their reunion video!

In 2008, NPR covered a story about one of Vick's dogs, Leo, who is now a therapy dog at a cancer treatment facility in California: http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=91769901

More recently, NPR did another story on the dogs rescued from Vick and placed with sanctuaries. Jim Gorant, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, who had followed the surviving dogs’ rescue and rehabilitation and who had written a book about it called "The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick’s Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption," joined the conversation. Along with him came Hector, one of Vick’s pit bulls who had some of the worst fighting scars, dog trainer Andrew Yori, who had adopted Hector, and Dr. Stephen Zawistowski, a psychologist and ASPCA animal behavior specialist. What would you say if I told you that Hector is now a certified therapy dog? Have a listen! http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129989424

Can a pit bull be a companion dog like any other? Absolutely! But do you have the time and commitment to give adequate training, stimulation and exercise to a pit bull? Personally, I wouldn’t recommend getting ANY dog that’s an active breed, and subject them to a couch potato life style, or deny them proper socialization. There is nothing wrong with a pit bull. But there’s plenty of wrong that we have done to them.

So, can you be a good human to a pit bull?

Photo by: Sanjay Sen

A Dog Named April

Provincetown harbor

New Years Day, 2014

April digging for clams

Provincetown, Massachusetts, is a quintessential New England town with beaches, buoys, old Victorian homes and kitsch. It’s also dog-friendly and queer-friendly. I’ve never seen Provincetown “in-season” when festivals dot the calendar and the beach is cluttered with people of all shapes, sizes and genders. It must be a lot of fun. But Provincetown in winter is like your own little fairy tale.



April woke up on New Years Day in a beach-facing unit at the Bayshore Inn. Her limbs had recovered from the 4-mile hike we had done a couple of days before. She was ten years old and had some arthritis. We had started walking from Bayshore Inn at the east side of the town, along Commercial Street, past the kitschy shops and art galleries (that offer dog treats if you walk in with your dog), and towards the west end of the town, where the breaker wall starts. It was late afternoon by the time we reached “the wall.” April navigated the uneven granite blocks that make up the wall, speckled with shattered clam shells and bird poop, faster than I could. A sniff here, a lick there, and her tail didn’t stop wagging. Once we got on the beach, she played tug with Steve. My invisible tail wagged too, watching her.

Waking up

We had walked back after dusk. The sky had turned pink and gold, then faded into purple darkness. My eyes were watering and I was chilled to the bones by the time we got to Georges Pizza, in spite of all the layers I could possibly wear and the biggest, fattest pair of gloves.

Hike across the wall in low tide

P Town Doggy

Georges was busy that night, and all we could quickly grab were plain cheese slices. Pizza had never tasted better. I had skipped lunch that day, lost in our rendezvous. Steve was starving. April always had the crust. I think dogs must have a gene that programs them to bark at the mailman and wag their nose at the pizza guys.

That night we settled down with pizza and wine and Lord of the Rings on DVD. The bay outside had disappeared into darkness. The horses on screen kept April on her toes.

Provincetown is not known for exceptional food at reasonable prices, or maybe I feel that because I have been spoiled by New York City. But there are a few places that I usually stop by and love. Wired Puppy on Commercial Street is the place to be with your pooch as you fetch your cup-of-joe. They also have free wifi access and a steady stream of locals. The Purple Feather has decadent baked goodies, including chocolate covered bacon. I know what an epic fan following bacon and chocolate both have, but in my opinion, they don’t work so well together. (I took a bite from Steve). But you should give it a go, just to make sure. In season, the Portuguese bakery towards the west side of the town is supposed to have rocking goodies, but April and I have never visited when it was open, so we couldn’t tell you for sure.

The seared scallop salad at the Surf Club Restaurant near McMillian Pier is simple and fresh, although the restaurant is not rated high for service or food. On a sunny day you can sit on the deck and watch the tides as you dig in, and I found it open during off-season weekends when few others were. You can’t go wrong with fried seafood and lobster rolls from the take out stands near the pier if they’re open; and Spiritus Pizza has my vote for the best pizza in town. I would usually order a pie, get a bottle of wine and take it to the beach or my porch and watch the sun go down.

Seared scallop salad ar Surf Club

The Red Inn offers happy hour Wellfleet oysters – not to be missed if you are a fan of slurping bivalves off their shells. Wellfleet is about 20 minutes away, and you just can’t beat the sweet freshness of these oysters. The Red Inn has a quiet, beautiful property at the very west end of town, facing the bay, and although dinner may be a splurge, it would be a good one. Plus, they let your dog accompany you if you choose to be seated at the deck.

Alternatively, The Squealing Pig on Commercial Street is the best place for a reasonable and hearty meal, any time of the day. Their smoked chowder, fish and chips, chicken curry and fresh oysters have kept me happy and well fed on chilly and warm days alike.

Lorraine’s at the western part of Commercial Street is one of the few lesbian-owned establishments still running. It serves tasty Mexican food and an awesome selection of tequilas. Cheerful and cozy, Lorraine’s is a place to huddle in with friends, eat, drink and be merry. Napi’s at Freeman Street is a non-pretentious place with solid food. If you find yourself there, don’t leave without sampling the Portuguese soup.

Steve and April on the beach

Provincetown is a friendly town, so strike up a conversation if you find yourself dining with the locals. At the Lobster Pot one night I received an impromptu invitation to a Jamaican party with goat and all, and at the Red Inn, I had dinner with a life coach who sounded like he had been a black-ops guy in his former life.

There’s a lot to do and see in this tiny beach town. Beyond McMillian Pier, named after the arctic explorer and Provincetown native, Donald B. MacMillan, is Fisherman’s Wharf with an outdoor art installation featuring five large portraits of local Portuguese-American women photographed by Norma Holt. Make sure to stop by at Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM)  - they have an excellent collection - and walk up and down cheerful Commercial Street with its myriad art galleries, eateries and shops. There’s the quintessential walk across the breakwater to the Wood End Lighthouse; and a short drive takes you to the ocean facing beaches of Race Point and Herring Cove. But there is one more attraction that April and I “heart” – a hike across the dunes. 

April and I walked through the dunes with a friend last fall. You can take a guided tour, or go on your own as we did. Follow Snail Road as it crosses Rt 6, to the North, and then walk along a sand path that meanders out past cranberry bogs and dune shacks. It took us a while to reach the ocean beach, and the walk can be hot and strenuous if you’re not used to walking on sand. Up and down we went, endlessly, it seemed, across some steep dunes, and past the fabled "dune shacks". But it was beautiful and solitary, and once we reached the ocean, we found seals were playing in the water. I had to keep April on a tight leash as we watched the seals.

Wood End Lighthouse, New Years Day

Hike to the lighthouse. Photo by Steve White

On New Year’s Day, we decided to head to the Wood End Lighthouse. The other day it had gotten dark by the time we had crossed the breaker wall, so we hadn’t had the chance to walk to the lighthouse. A walk across the wall may take two hours round trip, according to some reviews, but we were a slow bunch, stopping to sniff and lick, and take photographs. So we gave ourselves two hours each way. 

At the end of the breakwater wall were some gentle dunes and the ocean beach. We continued to walk toward the lighthouse. April led the way, bouncing across the sand, her ears flying in the wind. There is something definitely magical about lighthouses. They remind me of Rapunzel’s tower. The Wood End Lighthouse is even more so, standing tall and lonely, accessible by foot only during low tide, when you can walk across the wall. The three of us goofed around, braving the cold wind from the ocean, basking in the golden light, soaking in the magic, hugging each other.

I didn’t know at the time, but that was our last New Year’s Day with April. There are some things in life that I’ve done right, and that day was as right as right gets.

US. Photo by Steve White

Along the Salish Sea

In March, we visited some friends in Whidbey Island, along the Salish Sea, less than two hours from Seattle. They sent us photographs with clues, like a treasure map, that led us to their round yurt like cottage, where we watched the sun set over the bay as we washed down hunks of fresh bread, brie and apricot jam with local beer.

I hadn’t heard of the “Salish Sea” until Max used the name. I looked it up, instantly enchanted. Wikipedia described the Salish Sea as an “intricate network of coastal waterways” between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the Washington state in the U.S. The inland waterways of the Salish Sea are separated from the open Pacific Ocean by Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula.

South Whidbey Harbor, Langley

Winding roads framed by lush green woods led us to the yurt-like-cottage where Max and Liz lived. Quaint homes and farms were tucked away behind sharp turns and small bends. It rained some, but not all the time, and when it did, it wrapped the island in misty curtains that made it dreamier.

Our friends were boat captains, running whale-watching tours from South Whidbey Harbor. The cute street hugging the harbor had a gourmet grocery store, yarn shop, a record store, and the Village Pizzeria, where pizza and beer came with a gorgeous view.

Walking around Langley

That evening, as we settled down with more local brew, Max told us about Lolita.

In 1970, a young female orca was captured at Penn Cove, Whidbey Island, and taken to the Sea Aquarium in Miami. Lolita was one of seven young whales sold to marine parks around the world from this operation conducted by Don Goldsberry, a collector of SeaWorld, and Ted Griffin. Four baby whales died during the capture. To avoid public attention, the captors slit the dead calves’ bellies, filled them with rocks and drowned them. Three of the carcasses were later discovered, and SeaWorld settled in court and agreed to never again capture orcas in Washington State. Read more about Lolita's capture here.

Lolita was intended as a mate for a young male orca named Hugo. Eventually Hugo killed himself by banging his head against the wall of the aquarium where he was kept captive. He took the only way out that he could see.

Lolita is still alive. She lives in a pool that’s like a bathtub compared to her size. She still performs tricks for a cheering audience. When the show ends, Lolita bobs lifelessly in her pool. That’s all there is to her life. She could have had an ocean to live and play in. Instead, she lives in a bathtub, for our entertainment.

Max contemplated about the state of captive orcas and admitted how wondrous it was for him as a kid to have seen dolphin and orca shows in SeaWorld and its likes. But what are we really teaching our kids when we take them to these marine parks?

SeaWorld staff often misinform the audience about how happy and healthy orcas live in captivity. They even claim that in captivity these animals live longer. They don’t. The Whale and Dolphin Conservation project estimates that whales born in captivity only live for 4.5 years on average. In contrast, they live longer and richer lives in the wild, as evident in the case of “Granny”, a 103-year-old whale recently spotted off the western coast of Canada.

Orcas have emotional and social lives more complex than humans. Their brains are even more developed than ours. They live with their families and feel emotions like we do, and have a sense of identity. If we explained that to our kids, would they still want to see orcas in captivity perform back flips?

On a whale-watching tour in the rain, Whidbey Island

As of February 2014, there are 53 orcas held in captivity around the world, and Sea World owns 26 of them. Every time a trainer is injured, or worse, killed by a captive whale, marine parks have blamed the trainer for the incident. The movie Blackfish features Tilikum, a whale that has killed many times, and is still held in captivity because he is such a profit maker for SeaWorld. Whale researchers have pointed out numerous times that there have been no records of such orca attacks against humans in the wild.

Bluff Trail, Ebey's Landing

That night I dreamt being trapped in fishing nets and dragged through a busy highway that looked like the New Jersey Turnpike.

Next morning brought sunshine. We had breakfast and headed for Ebey’s Landing, named after the first non-native settler of Whidbey Island, Colonel Isaac Neff Ebey. 

We walked up the bluff trail running parallel to the shore, passing emerald green fields and woods of fir that looked like something out of an Irish travel brochure. We gazed at the Olympic Mountains rising behind the coastal waters and spotted bald eagles.

Bluff trail, Ebey's Landing

On the way back, we walked on the beach. Steve and I found a giant log perfectly balanced to become a seesaw. We collected barnacles and marveled at the curiously shaped driftwood bleached silver by the sun. I smuggled a small piece of driftwood in my luggage. When I returned to New York, April played fetch with it and gnawed at it with unadorned pleasure that dogs have mastered.

Seesaw on driftwood, Ebey's Landing

Peek-a-boo

Washington state and Seattle holds a special place in my heart. It’s a place where past and present memories play. Back in New York, alongside those pleasant memories, Lolita’s story kept coming back to me. So I found out more about her.

Lolita is a member of the “Southern Resident killer whale DPS” that’s protected under the Endangered Species Act. The Orca Network describes her present condition as: “Though a young and healthy adult, Lolita is one of the oldest orcas in captivity, kept in the oldest and smallest orca tank in the U.S.”

Ebey's Landing

“The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has objected to the Federal Government's failure to enforce the Animal Welfare Act in regard to the small size of Lolita's tank. In short, the minimum horizontal dimension should, by law, be at least 48' wide in both directions. From the front wall to the wall that forms the barrier the pool is only 35' wide. Orcas swim an average of 80 miles a day. Four other infractions at the Sea Aquarium whale tank have been documented at The Orca Project. Lolita's tank is not a reasonable habitat for a whale.”

Yet, all previous attempts to free Lolita from Miami Sea Aquarium have failed.

Today, Lolita awaits a final decision that’s due in January 2015 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries that could set her free. 

In 2013, NOAA accepted a petition to include Lolita under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Her family in the wild is already covered by the ESA and the proposal entails an amendment to remove the exclusion of captive whales in the regulatory language, which would allow Lolita to be included in the endangered species list. Advocates for “Free Lolita” have proposed a safe retirement plan for her that could ultimately unite her with her family.

The issue of orcas in captivity has gained momentum in recent years. The documentary “Blackfish” released in 2013 challenged mainstream perceptions (and lack thereof) of orcas in captivity. In April 2014,  SeaWorld lost in the US Court of Appeals, which upheld the 2010 citation accusing SeaWorld of failing to ensure the safety of its orca trainers. Shortly thereafter, STA Travels, one of the world’s leading travel companies catering to young people and students, announced that it would not offer trips to SeaWorld or other tourism destinations which capitalize on the exploitation of animals.

Perhaps, these are small steps that could lead to a sea change for whales in captivity.

If you want to stay on top of the “Free Lolita” movement, check http://www.orcanetwork.org.

You can also sign this PETA petition urging for her release: https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=4951 

Let’s hope 2015 brings freedom to Lolita and sets a precedence to protect whales from captivity. Ahoy!

Canyons and Wolves

Sand Canyon. Photo: Urjasi

Have you ever hiked through canyons in the moonlight? It's highly recommendable.

See this? Now imagine looking at this in the moonlight. The alien-mushroom-like rocks bathed in a pale moonlight, and silhouettes of leafless limbs of trees dancing in the dark. 

Now add the silence. Sprinkle some brilliant stars and oh - there goes a meteor with a fiery tail! And oh - that's a satellite - it's moving too slow for a shooting star. And yes! THAT is a shooting star!

Indian ruins. Photo: Urjasi

I was clambering around Sand Canyon with Steve on my birthday. It's part of the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, with trails through sandstone canyons and ancient Indian ruins. The ruins are ancestral "puebloan" archaelogical sites. 

Pre-Puebloan people called "Basketmakers" had lived in this area around 1500 B.C. Primarily hunter-gatherers, they excelled in basket-making. By 750 A.D. they had set up square-roomed "pueblo" style villages, farmed and created pottery. At some point of time, perhaps because of dwindling natural resources, they migrated away. Eventually the Ute and Navajo people came into this area, followed by European settlers who set up farms and ranches.

Sand Canyon. Photo: Urjasi

There is a popular 6.5 miles trail (one way) that goes from Sand Canyon to McElmo Canyon.I followed Steve and didn't pay much attention to any trail map. But you can find trail maps and more information here.

Sand Canyon, moonlight and evening star. Photo: Steve White

Silhouette. Photo: Urjasi

At dusk we found a rock to lean against and watched the last of the colors of the setting sun. We watched the evening star come up. Steve reminded me that it's a planet [Yes, Steve, but evening star sounds more charming]. Over gummy candies we wondered if the morning star and evening star was one and the same. [Google confirmed that both names are for the planet Venus].

"Wolves are predatory creatures, programmed to kill when possible. They would kill even when they are not hungry." I don't remember how we got on to the topic of wolves. Steve's a cello playing biologist and has a wealth of knowledge to share about animals and bugs. 

Wolves are also a keystone species - a species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment and play a critical role in maintaining the structure and health of an ecological community. What happens to them affects many other organisms in an ecosystem. In the recent years wolves have been constantly under the threat of being delisted from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the US.  Earlier this year, the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to remove all Endangered Species Act protections for most of the gray wolves across the United States.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service argues that gray wolves do not need protections offered under the ESA anymore because their population has sufficiently recovered and they are not at risk of being extinct now or in the future. Supporters of this proposition also argue that the places where the gray wolves currently roam, are already protected within national parks, like the Yellowstone.

Last year, on December 6th, the alpha female of Yellowstone’s Lamar Canyon pack, an iconic matriarch, was shot and killed, during a rare venture outside the park. The tracking collar she wore showed that she stayed inside the park 95% of the time.This is the same Yellowstone National Park where wolves were virtually wiped out in the 1920s and reintroduced in the ’90s. [Read more here].

The extinction of wolves in Yellowstone had profound impact on its overall ecosystem. Scientists found that lack of wolves led to a boom in elk population that grazed on young shoots of aspen, and as a result of that, the number of aspen trees declined. The willow population suffered too, causing a decline in the number of beavers in the park. Beavers matter to us - they build dams that keep rivers clean and keep them from drying up. A 2001 study (PDF) found that the moose population grew five times its normal size and demolished woody vegetation where birds nested. As a result, several bird species were eliminated as well. With wolves gone, coyotes preyed on pronghorn almost to the point extinction. Ultimately,  wolves protect fragile ecosystems against climate change. [10 Reasons We Need Wolves]

Restoration of wolves in Yellowstone cost about $30 million, but it brought in $35.5 million annual net benefit to the area surrounding the park.


Federal public hearings on wolf delisting have been underway at four locations, starting with Denver, CO on 19th November. Environmentalists argue that the decision to delist gray wolves is political, rather than being based on science, and may open doors for delisting other species.

The Defenders of Wildlife explain on their website why they are opposing the delisting proposal:

• Gray wolf recovery is not complete, and the decision could derail recovery efforts in some areas where it has barely begun — among them, Pacific Northwest, northern California, Colorado and Utah.
• Delisting would turn wolf management over to the states and the track record of that hasn't been great for other species.
• Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, where wolves have been delisted, are not managing wolves well, and are instead driving their population down.
• Other species, like the bald eagle, American alligator and the peregrine falcon were declared recovered and delisted only when they occupied a much larger portion of their former range and gray wolves deserve the same.

What does "recovery" mean for the authorities determined to delist gray wolves? Are they only looking at numbers in terms of their recovery, or do they consider the health and potential of the said population? How long would it take to list gray wolves back under the ESA if the need was to arise? Evidently, it takes a while for policies and protections to be finalized and implemented...

Supporters of delisting, such as filmmaker David Spady screened his documentary the same week of the public hearing in Colorado, focusing on the economic and safety concerns of rural communities and ranchers: "There are certain predators that don’t mix well with populated areas, and most of the lower 48 is populated... It’s not like the backwoods of Alaska or northern Canada. We’re populated.”

In the Colorado hearing, a 7 year old spoke up: “Will I ever see a wolf in Colorado? I oppose your plan because no one will ever see a wolf in Colorado and they will be extinct.”

The public commenting period has been extended to December 17. Tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service what you think about their proposal to delist wolves. Submit your comments online: http://www.defenders.org/national-wolf-emergency/lower-48-wolf-delisting-comments

Mountains to Climb, Ships to Save

October came, and with it came restlessness. I love New York City, but once fall sets in, my feet itch to climb dirt and rocks, my nose twitches to sniff country air, and my taste buds crave farm-fresh apples that I can dip in crunchy peanut butter.

I managed to fit in a couple of hikes in October, both at a stone's throw from the city.

Breakneck Ridge 

 

Rising between the towns of Cold Spring and Beacon in the Hudson Valley, Breakneck Ridge has many summits. The highest one peaks at 1,260 feet. A 3.7 mile hike scrambling up and down rocks offers breathtaking views of Storm King Mountain, Bannerman's Castle and the Hudson river.

Take the Poughkeepsie-bound Metro North train from Grand Central Station to Cold Spring and walk on Rt 9D towards the Breakneck Ridge trailhead. I went on a weekend, when the train also stops at the "flag stop" station of Breakneck Ridge. Be sure to sit in the first car and let the conductor know that you're getting off at Breakneck Ridge.

Just before the tunnel on Route 9D, you’ll find the marked trailhead on the right, next to an overflow parking lot. You can grab a trail map from the box at the trailhead or print this trail map from the NYS Parks Department. We followed the white trail to the red, and on to the yellow that loops back to Rt 9D.

With a name like Breakneck, and reviews that varied about the strenuousness of the hike, I wasn't sure what to expect. I went with a group through REI. What I got was a brilliant day with blue skies and warm sun, and loads of fun scrambling up rocks. The scrambling starts right at the beginning of the trail, and it goes on until the yellow trail gradually descends through the woods. You don't need climbing gear, but good hiking boots with ankle support will save the day, and if you have a friend who can give you a hand or a push if needed, that would be awesome.

The consensus in our group was that it qualified as a moderate/intermediate hike. It was supposed to take 6 hours with breaks, but it took us about 5 to complete the loop. I would have easily stretched it to 8 because I like to nap when I get to the top of a mountain.

Minnewaska State Park 

 

While Breakneck Ridge satisfied my craving for dirt and rocks, Minnewaska came with winding country roads, farm fresh apples, the kitschy village of New Paltz, and spectacular colors on a misty day. The drive takes one and a half hours, one way, without traffic delays. There a couple of easy, short hikes you can do, or you can combine them with a longer trail.  

The Minnewaska Lake loop is beautiful and an easy 3-mile loop, hugging the lake and framed by pine trees and sassafras. The glassy lake set in white conglomerate cliffs mirrors the sky and fall colors, and the the carriage road trails offer many overlooks with views of the mountains, cliffs and the lake. A short walk from the parking lot and across the Peters Kill Stream, is the Awosting Falls.  Have a little lunch by the falls, dip your toes, throw some sticks into the water for your four-legged companion if you have one, and then continue on for a longer hike.

It's hard to go wrong with any trail in Minnewaska. I wanted to take the Gertrude's Nose Loop/Millbrook Mountain Trail, but a persistent drizzle made things slippery, so we chose a wooded trail with more shade and less climbing. The yellow blazed Mossy Glen Trail to the left of the parking lot takes you through Hemlock and Mountain Laurel. The footbridge across Peters Kill was washed away. We watched April navigate the shallow stream effortlessly as we tried to find the best route that wouldn't involve wading through water. Unless the stream is flooding, you can cross it fairly easily.

The trail stays close to the river for quite some time until it meets with the blue-blazed Blueberry Run Trail, which climbs steadily through mountain laurel and blueberries. We were a bit late for the blueberry season. It made me miss the summer hikes in New Hampshire and Alaska where we would snack on fists-full of wild blueberries on our hikes. I made a mental note to come back during blueberry season next year.

The Blueberry Run Trail will gain in elevation and lead to panoramic views at  Castle Point. I believe you can get a peek at the cliffs of Getrude's Nose. We didn't complete the loop as it was getting chilly under the steady drizzle and dusk was setting in. To get a complete description of this trail, click here.

We headed to the village of New Paltz, in search of warmth and food. We had a little detour at an old record shop and the local chocolatier. Our search for a warm place with good food first took us to Rock da Pasta. With high hopes we sat at the bar on high chairs that had guitar-shaped backs. We waited for fifteen minutes at the bar, without being asked about a drink, much less food. We watched a flustered waitress take meals out and a chef who looked quite unhappy. So we took photos of ourselves on the chairs with guitar-shaped backs and headed over to the no-frills burger joint a few doors up. 

The mushroom burger impressed Eduardo and Laura (they swore it was one of the best they'd had), the sweet potato fries were perfect, and my cheesy chili fries earned me back any and all calories I might have shed on the hike. April was fast asleep on the way back - the sign of a contented dog. It was the perfect end to a fall weekend.

 

Meantime, in the Arctic...

October didn't go as well for 28 environmental activists from Greenpeace, a freelance photographer and a freelance videographer, who had staged a peaceful protest against the Gazprom Arctic drilling platform Prirazlomnaya on September 18th. Two of the activists tried to climb the side of the platform to hang a banner. Within a day, Russian security services swooped down from the sky, on to the deck of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise, and seized the ship and its crew at gunpoint. It's nearing two months now, and the entire crew of the Arctic Sunrise - the #Arctic30 - are detained in Russian prison. They all face "hooliganism" charges. 

Hooliganism charge? What does that mean?

The charge carries a maximum 7-year jail sentence. Previously, the activists were charged with piracy, which carried a maximum of 15 years in prison. But then Putin announced that he didn't think they were pirates... but apparently, they are hooligans, under Russian law. Hooliganism under Russian law is defined as: "A gross violation of the public order which expresses patent contempt for society, attended by violence against private persons or by the threat of its use, and likewise by the destruction or damage of other people's property." (Article 213 under Russian criminal code.)

According to Russia, the activists committed a crime under international law by trying to "seize" an oil platform. 

Let's deconstruct that. 

• Did the activists commit a gross violation of public order? Which one? 
• Did they express contempt for society? (I fail to see how peacefully protesting against drilling for oil in the Arctic, which will undoubtedly impact marine health and contribute towards climate change, is a contempt for anything other than unsustainable greed for oil.)
• We know for a fact that they did not use violence or threat of violence.
• They did not commit or threaten to commit damage or destruction of property. (I also fail to understand how 2 unarmed activists trying to hang a banner can "seize", damage or destroy an oil platform).
• As for a "crime under international law," for the hooliganism charge to apply, the alleged offense must happen on Russian territory. Greenpeace argues that the Arctic Sunrise was in the Exclusive Economic Zone. Also, under international law, countries have no right to seize each others' ships or people in international waters based on hooliganism charges. (See more here.)

So what the hell is happening? Why are 30 peaceful activists still detained? 

 I was looking for legal clarity, and this article provided some insights: http://ow.ly/qGeun.

It says that according to the "Protocol for Combating Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms on the Continental Shelf" the activists can be charged for trying to capture or establish control over the oil platform, or for intimidating the people on it. It also states that the incidence happened in waters under Russian territory and Russian law enforcement authorities had the legal right to extend jurisdiction over the "offenders" under statute on "Violating the Laws of the Russian Federation on the Continental Shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone of the Russian Federation."

Aside from the fact that under the 1999 International Convention on Arrest of Ships, the Arctic Sunrise (and its crew) should be released immediately if it provides enough security (aka, money, like a bail), let's take a moment here and think about what Russia is alleging. Even if it is invoking existing laws, it is arguing, in essence - 4 inflated boats that left the Greenpeace ship towards the Gazprom platform, 2 unarmed activists that tried to crawl up a oil platform to hang a banner protesting against drilling, and the remaining crew of the Arctic Sunrise who stayed in their ship - intimidated, threatened, or captured the oil platform. (Dramatic pause)

I could go on and on about this. I could dig up more legal facts and argue this case right in this blog. But, this is a blog. Blogs must be short. People don't have time and patience to read too much these days. Understandably, not everyone gets deliriously excited about international law. Furthermore, others who know more than me have done an excellent job of chronicling the entire saga. So... I will leave you with some ideas about what you can do to help and links that you can visit, if you want to know more.

Whatever you do, please do not turn your face away from what's happening with the Arctic 30. Russia must know that an entire civilization of peaceful activists are behind the Arctic 30 and we are not going to stop asking for their release.

What can you do?

Send a message to the local Russian Embassy right now.
Send a message to the Russian Ambassador
Take a climate action. Honor the Arctic 30.
Follow Greenpeace International and their ED Kumi Naidoo on Facebook for regular updates.

Learn more:

Recent interview with the lawyer representing the activists.
Timeline of events that led to the imprisonment of the #Arctic30
Latest updates from Greenpeace, including footage of their capture by Russian authorities
Updates and messages from the 30 activists currently detained by Russia about what they are going through.
Meet the Arctic 30