There is a community website that I am a part of in hopes to stay updated on community happenings as well as voice my concerns. Recently my main concern is people walking their dogs off leash in the city where other dogs are on leash. The leashed dogs are following the law. They can also be dog aggressive, scared or anxious if an off leash dog comes up to them (it is a threat), and generally nervous and could bite out of fear. I have been posting on this community site to try to get people to stop doing this. Maybe they aren't aware of the law or the ramifications. Maybe they are just selfish and don't care about anyone else around them. It seems a have a large number of people on my side, but no one really knows what to do. This was my most recent post:
Ok, I know I posted this before, and it seemed as though people were getting it for a while (while the post was relevant), but this morning I have learned otherwise. Local dog walker here, just trying to do my job. I was walking a dog that is not fond of other dogs down queen street this morning and within the first block I see a man walking his german shepherd back to his house (261 Queen, yes I will now call you all out) He seemed as though he was going right back in his house so I gave him the benefit of the doubt and waited on the opposite corner. Then I see him picking up stray trash and messing with his trashcans while the dog turns the corner and starts walking down 3rd street! So I yell over , "Excuse me! Is that you dog?" He said it was, and I said, "She is not good with other dogs, could you please get him so that we can cross the street?" And he got a little huffy and said, "Yeah! I was BRINGING him in the house." He called, the dog came, went in the house. Not the biggest deal, but he still wasn't paying attention and his dog was out of his sight completely.
THEN I walk through Mario Lanza park (regular park, not the dog park part) and we get to the end of the path leading to Christian and a guy with a ridgeback (full or mix?) walks in on the opposite side and lets his dog off leash immediately (not IN the dog park) and his dog comes charging at the dog that I have. I'm pulling her aside and yelling, "Whoa! She's NOT good with other dogs!" He runs over and grabs his dog by the collar and goes over to the dog park. I was saying , "Hey, you can't do that! They can't be off leash here." He just seems annoyed and goes, "Yeah.. Ok." and walks away. So I walk over to the dog park itself and call him over. I explain that I am not trying to be bitchy, but it's really not safe to do that. There are a ton of dog aggressive dogs in this neighborhood, just wait till he is in the park." His reply was priceless. "Yeah, I hear this at least once a day. I GUESS I'll have to start leashing him more." HE HEARS THIS AT LEAST ONCE A DAY AND IS STILL DOING IT!!!!!
I walk dogs. It is my business. It is my responsibility to keep my dog clients safe and out of harms way. I am liable. When people like this have no regard for other neighborhood animals, it enrages me. Walk your dogs on a leash. It is a simple concept. It is a law. It is common sense. Don't intentionally create dangerous situations! I am keeping these postings relevant because EVERYONE that is on my side needs to grow a pair and speak up! It is hard to single -handedly lead a revolution.
Today I got a private reply on the site from Bobby, the dog park guy. Here is his reply to my post:
Debbie,
Go figure, I was the gentleman at the dog park at Mario Lanza who was trying everything possible to ignore you when you tried to create a scene. I get that this is your "job" and it's very clear just how passionate you are about this but had I known you would have taken to public cry then I would have treated our encounter differently.
I do not get a request once a day to leash my dog, that remark was simply to send you on your way so I can go about enjoying my day and morning walk with my dog. Why is it that all these run-ins you have end in confrontation? Would that by chance have anything to do with you and your unpleasant reactions? Just something to think about before you get as feisty as the dog you're walking next time. I realized mistake and was very apologetic to start and that's the part you omitted from record in your posting.
People might be a little more respectful and responsive if you didn't carry such an (as you put it "bitchy") attitude. Understand that other owners work very hard the same way you do to train their dogs to be obedient and that includes practicing off-leash commands. That's all that is, please don't make these owners feel like they are incompetent/irresponsible because of the occasional free running mistakes before taking their environment into account. If you want to make a statement, do it in cordial fashion so that you can receive the same results in return.
That's my two cents for whatever you feel it's worth. I won't be reading your reply whether it be private or another ill-informed public comment so don't waste much time in writing it.
Take care,
Bobby
What a (insert your own expletive here)! I did reply to him (and you know he read it) and this is what it said:
Yeah, I figured that was you. I repeated what YOU told me. Yes I take my business and responsibilities seriously. You are taking your dog to the dog park, yet you let your dog off leash when the actual dog park was still about 50 ft away. And your dog charged at the dog that I had in my hand. You want to wait until something awful happens? Go right ahead. I was trying to be human and call you over to chat behind the fence so you'd know where I was coming from. But you don't care, so that's fine. That was me not being bitchy. That was me trying to talk to your like a person and tell you why I was pissed.
I truly hope that you and your dog stay safe. Make good decisions please.
Bottom line is, you are breaking the law. I am not. There is a leash law in this city. You had a confrontation before I even met you regarding the same thing. Common denominator was YOU. Although you want to practice training - it is unsafe and inconsiderate to do it in a setting such as Mario Lanza where there are other dogs and people all over the place. I wasn't trying to "ruin your day" and you did not apologize. You tried to placate me rudely and walked away. I don't want to see your dog attacked by a dog that he startles or hit by a car - just as much as I don't want to see one of my clients attacked. And don't use quotes around "job" . This is my job and my legit business. I have worked in the animal industry since 1996. I know what I am talking about and my concern is for the safety of the dogs. I don't care what you think or what you do with your time. Enjoy the dog park, just wait until you are in the gate to take the leash off. THat's all. Your dog is adorable and I would have said hello to him if I didn't think that the dog that I had would try to bite his face off. It's a small community, just be respectful. Rules apply to everyone - you are not exempt.
Philadelphia Dog Leash Law
Section § 10-104 of the Philadelphia Code provides as follows:
Animals Running at Large and Vicious Animals
(1) No person shall permit any animal other than a sterilized cat to go at large upon any street, public place or private property other than the property of the owner of the animal. All animals, other than sterilized cats, using any street, public place or private property of anyone other than the owner of the animal shall be on a leash not exceeding six (6) feet in length including the handgrip but excluding the collar and accompanied by a person able to fully control the animal at all times.
I have yet to hear a reply, nor do I think I will - however I am livid. What has to happen to make these people see that this is not a good idea? An attack? A hit by car situation? We are in a small community with MANY dogs. There are only so many places to go and ways to avoid those not abiding the law. I try to talk, I try to ask nicely, but people treat me as I am asking them to perform heart surgery on the street. They ignore me, they placate me, they turn and walk away...
So do I have to carry around a copy of the leash law in my pocket and hand it out? I might just do that.
Do I have to talk to every police officer in the neighborhood about why they should enforce this law? I have already started. I need back up - I need actual support, more then anonymous people agreeing with me in a forum. This could turn into a really awful situation where dog fights happen, kids get knocked over, people get bitten.... this needs to stop. Dog parks exist for a reason - please use them.
Stories from the everyday happenings of a pet sitter/dog walker in downtown Philadelphia
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Friday, October 23, 2015
Look into my....eye....
Picture it. I was in an apartment feeding cats. It is very nice building on a very nice block with about 6 units in it. I bent down for a cat head scratch (her head, not mine) and there is a very sturdy knock at the door - slightly less aggressive than a police officer. I am confused as I was on the 2nd floor of a locked building. I opened the door only to find an older gentleman with greasy white hair, greasy leathery skin, 1 good eye and 1 white eye, and he was wearing dirty jeans and a dirty flannel.
He said, "I need to come in and change the air filter!" I was taken aback because I was not expecting anyone to just show up, let alone to maintenance. I told him that this was not my apartment, I was just cat sitting and that no one told me that this was ok. He repeated, "I need to change the air filters, it will just be a minute." And again, told him that I need to talk to my client, I'm not ok with just letting them in. Then another guy yells from upstairs, "It will just take a minute to change the filters, we will be right down." I shut the door, call the client, she didn't pick up, and then a minute later they just come in stating that it will take a minute. I kept saying that I understand that, but I don't have the authority to just let people in. It's not my apartment. They basically brushed by me with a ladder and changed the filters and walked out. Got a hold of the client later and luckily she was ok with it (happy that I happen to have been there for this fiasco). But seriously, any other place that I have been where someone was there to do work and I was unaware of it, they understood why I wouldn't let them in. These guys couldn't care less.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Dog Park Policy
I felt the need to write this because I spoke to a potential new client today that wanted me to take his dog to the dog park right off the bat. I told him no and explained why. I find that I explain this quite often so I just wanted to put it out there in the open so that everyone understands my stance on dog parks and why I have very specific rules for myself and my clients.
I come from a medical background. I worked in a vet office for 13 years. I saw the aftermath of "dog park fun". There were ears ripped off, brutal bite wounds that required drains to be surgically placed, lacerations that needed sutures, damages teeth, nails ripped out of the nail bed, even death from an attack..... you name it, I've seen it. That is not including the many frantic phone calls that I answered that began with me words, "My dog just got attacked at the dog park." I have all of these things that lay dormant in my brain until someone says, "Can you bring my dog to the park so he can run off some of his energy?"
I will always say no.
Here is why:
* Your dog is not my dog. I will not be liable for something awful happening on my watch when it could have been avoided. I do not want to rush your dog to the emergency room. I do not want to have to make that phone call to you, telling you to rush to the ER because we don't know if your dog is going to be ok. Or that you have a huge vet bill because some other dog attacked your dog.
* I am not the owner. I am not the parent. I am not the alpha. I am the babysitter buddy that asserts authority when necessary. That dog will never listen to me like they would listen to their owner. If something happens (another dog fight, thunder, crazy child taunting, crazy dog taunting, loud truck sounds, etc) and I have to get that dog outta there ASAP and I call for him/her to come, they BETTER listen and come. I will take a dog to the park if I know that that dog WILL listen to me and come when called. This does not happen right away. ( Out of all of my clients, there are 2 dogs that I am completely comfortable with at the park. That is it. ) Once we develop a relationship and the park is close by and the dog and I have mutual trust (and I know that the dog goes with the owner all of the time), then I will consider it. It is just too risky otherwise. I have insurance, but i don't want to have to use it.
* My main goal is safety. When I come to walk your dog, I want that kiddo to stay SAFE! You are trusting me with your kid, and that kid needs to be on a leash, away from cars, away from aggressive dogs, away from harmful things on the street to eat and walk on (chicken bones, glass, gum, dead rodents, mouse poison) We jump, we play, we greet other people and dogs if we are all comfortable with it - but in the back of my mind I am assessing every situation.
* I know every dog that I walk like the back of my hand. They all have their quirks.
Some hate the mailman that's on 8th street
Some hate UPS guys
Some hate Fedex guys
Some hate both
Some hate kids
Some pick up tissues and paper towels
Some try to walk on glass
Some try to get out of their gentle leader or harness a certain way
Some hate other dogs (some small, some big, or just all dogs)
Some hate skateboards or anything on wheels
Some hate homeless people
The list goes on and on - but I know them and treat them as if they were my own dogs. I care just as much, and that is why I don't want to unnecessarily jeopardize their health and safety in any way if I can avoid it. I am there for a potty break, some love, some treats, and a safe walk.
I urge you to not be upset that I don't feel comfortable taking your dog to the park, but know that I am making that judgement based on experience and love for the animal.
I come from a medical background. I worked in a vet office for 13 years. I saw the aftermath of "dog park fun". There were ears ripped off, brutal bite wounds that required drains to be surgically placed, lacerations that needed sutures, damages teeth, nails ripped out of the nail bed, even death from an attack..... you name it, I've seen it. That is not including the many frantic phone calls that I answered that began with me words, "My dog just got attacked at the dog park." I have all of these things that lay dormant in my brain until someone says, "Can you bring my dog to the park so he can run off some of his energy?"
I will always say no.
Here is why:
* Your dog is not my dog. I will not be liable for something awful happening on my watch when it could have been avoided. I do not want to rush your dog to the emergency room. I do not want to have to make that phone call to you, telling you to rush to the ER because we don't know if your dog is going to be ok. Or that you have a huge vet bill because some other dog attacked your dog.
* I am not the owner. I am not the parent. I am not the alpha. I am the babysitter buddy that asserts authority when necessary. That dog will never listen to me like they would listen to their owner. If something happens (another dog fight, thunder, crazy child taunting, crazy dog taunting, loud truck sounds, etc) and I have to get that dog outta there ASAP and I call for him/her to come, they BETTER listen and come. I will take a dog to the park if I know that that dog WILL listen to me and come when called. This does not happen right away. ( Out of all of my clients, there are 2 dogs that I am completely comfortable with at the park. That is it. ) Once we develop a relationship and the park is close by and the dog and I have mutual trust (and I know that the dog goes with the owner all of the time), then I will consider it. It is just too risky otherwise. I have insurance, but i don't want to have to use it.
* My main goal is safety. When I come to walk your dog, I want that kiddo to stay SAFE! You are trusting me with your kid, and that kid needs to be on a leash, away from cars, away from aggressive dogs, away from harmful things on the street to eat and walk on (chicken bones, glass, gum, dead rodents, mouse poison) We jump, we play, we greet other people and dogs if we are all comfortable with it - but in the back of my mind I am assessing every situation.
* I know every dog that I walk like the back of my hand. They all have their quirks.
Some hate the mailman that's on 8th street
Some hate UPS guys
Some hate Fedex guys
Some hate both
Some hate kids
Some pick up tissues and paper towels
Some try to walk on glass
Some try to get out of their gentle leader or harness a certain way
Some hate other dogs (some small, some big, or just all dogs)
Some hate skateboards or anything on wheels
Some hate homeless people
The list goes on and on - but I know them and treat them as if they were my own dogs. I care just as much, and that is why I don't want to unnecessarily jeopardize their health and safety in any way if I can avoid it. I am there for a potty break, some love, some treats, and a safe walk.
I urge you to not be upset that I don't feel comfortable taking your dog to the park, but know that I am making that judgement based on experience and love for the animal.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Diamonds Too Will Pass
A few weeks ago, this face allegedly ate 2 diamond wedding bands.
With every poop, we are picking it up in clear plastic and smushing it to see if diamonds appear. Thus far, nothing has come out. The owner tore her house apart - so either this kiddo is living with precious gems in his intestines OR they are lost forever. Until then, we will continue to have a close relationship with the poo.
Also, while I was walking Darius I passed by a guy that looked like a human version of him! Short, stocky, dark skinned, round head.... and as we passed him he goes, "Hey, is that Darius?!" And I said, "Yes, are you two friends?" And he replied, "Nah, I met him last week when I was walking with my kid. Really funny because my name is Da-rye-us. (I imagine it's spelled the same way and just pronounced differently) How weird is that ? Man looks like dog and has the same name? Sometimes the universe just makes me smile.
Update : The rings have been recovered (not ingested by the dog)
Monday, October 12, 2015
Notes Are My Best Friend
Sometimes I will meet a new client a month or 2 before I actually have to go there and watch their cat. Although I write everything down during our meeting, when I get to their house it is still sometimes a little fuzzy. Sometimes people go above and beyond with notes all over the house and I LOVE it! So helpful.
This was especially helpful over the Pope weekend when I was losing my mind to start with. I went into her apartment and found this
So helpful! In every room on every floor :)
This was especially helpful over the Pope weekend when I was losing my mind to start with. I went into her apartment and found this
So helpful! In every room on every floor :)
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Even MORE Unexpected Surprises
Finally a cool and breezy morning! It was GLORIOUS to walk around to my morning visits. Since it was a pretty light day, I got to spend some extra time at each house and meander around the streets taking in the fall like Sunday. Then around 10 am I arrived at a cat visit in a high rise. I had planned on killing some time there until my next dog at 11. I walked in the door and was greeted by both cats, starving as usual. I said my hellos, grabbed their canned food and headed to their bowls. I emptied the first can into the first bowl and munching ensued. Then I went to grab the other can and noticed the other cat on the floor on his side stretching. I immediately hit the floor with him saying his name and he was not responding. His eyes were fixed and he stretched his legs out, made an odd facial expression, and then just relaxed. He was having a heart attack right there in my lap and there was nothing that could be done. Although it probably lasted about 10 seconds, it felt like 10 minutes. I called the owner, no answer. I called my husband to come and get me so that we could run him to the vet just to make sure, but I knew there was nothing I could do. There was no carrier visible so I wrapped him in a towel and we took him to the vet that confirmed he had indeed passed. I left 3 messages for the owner because I didn't know what she wanted to do, all the while trying to hold back tears. I loved this cat - he was one of my favorites. He did have cardiac issues and had been on heart medication for years. This cat was like a dog. He was big and gray, with huge paws. He learned tricks on command, he took his pills in peanut butter (forcefully), and he had a voracious appetite at all times. He was a handsome devil and I will miss him terribly. It's funny about animals dying from a heart attack. It is so sudden and unexpected, but it is also so quick. There is virtually no suffering, which is the only comforting factor. I'm glad that I was there so that he was not alone, but I hate that I was there because I had to watch a cat friend leave this earth before his time. He should have lived to be 20 to become a cranky old man cat that walked with a limp and demanded his peanut butter by shaking his cat walker at me. I am devastated, as is the owner. There are no words to truly describe what I felt today. He will be missed and my heart goes out to his human mom and cat brother.
R.I.P. Patrick - you were one amazing cat
After we left the vet, I wanted to cancel all my other visits and hide. Since that was impossible, I had to head to the next dog walk and luckily Mike was willing to help me out with his car. I took the dog out, we went for a nice walk in the cemetery (I guess that was appropriate), I get back to his car and the battery is dead. Fucking great! He called AAA and there was a "higher than normal wait time." While he was waiting on hold, I got on facebook to ask if anyone was nearby that could give us a jump. Thank God for social media - an old friend who I haven't seen ages was nearby and said he would jump us. Perfect! While we were waiting, 3 different people stopped to ask if we needed a jump. We said thank you, but someone is on the way. He pulls up and the jumper cables that were usually in his car were not there, so he went to go home to find them. Two minutes later a guy pulls up with an SUV full of kids and asks if we need a jump. We told him yes. He said, "I have cables, but I don't have the time." He lived down the street so he lent us the cables and said to just leave them in his driveway when we were done. (How about that??) So we called my friend back to flip around and we got the car going. Phew!
We got home, emotionally drained, and we rested for a little bit until I had to go back out for a few more visits. Mike said that he would drive me. I got back into the car and notice that he his holding a broken mirror. (Seriously??!!!) Apparently while I was walking the first dog, a truck drove by him and hit his sideview mirror. It shattered and flew down the street. The guy DID stop and apologize and gave him money to replace it. Could the day get any worse?
We then headed to another high rise for a cat visit and the front desk couldn't find the key to the apartment. It SHOULD have been there, I returned it last night. So then I had to go upstairs and wait for maintenance
to let me in. He found me sitting on the floor by her door with my knees under my chin.
So there you go, death does come in 3's. The cat, the battery, the mirror. I am drained physically. I am drained emotionally. All I want to do is watch Netflix in the dark and sleep. Today was literally "One of those days"
R.I.P. Patrick - you were one amazing cat
After we left the vet, I wanted to cancel all my other visits and hide. Since that was impossible, I had to head to the next dog walk and luckily Mike was willing to help me out with his car. I took the dog out, we went for a nice walk in the cemetery (I guess that was appropriate), I get back to his car and the battery is dead. Fucking great! He called AAA and there was a "higher than normal wait time." While he was waiting on hold, I got on facebook to ask if anyone was nearby that could give us a jump. Thank God for social media - an old friend who I haven't seen ages was nearby and said he would jump us. Perfect! While we were waiting, 3 different people stopped to ask if we needed a jump. We said thank you, but someone is on the way. He pulls up and the jumper cables that were usually in his car were not there, so he went to go home to find them. Two minutes later a guy pulls up with an SUV full of kids and asks if we need a jump. We told him yes. He said, "I have cables, but I don't have the time." He lived down the street so he lent us the cables and said to just leave them in his driveway when we were done. (How about that??) So we called my friend back to flip around and we got the car going. Phew!
We got home, emotionally drained, and we rested for a little bit until I had to go back out for a few more visits. Mike said that he would drive me. I got back into the car and notice that he his holding a broken mirror. (Seriously??!!!) Apparently while I was walking the first dog, a truck drove by him and hit his sideview mirror. It shattered and flew down the street. The guy DID stop and apologize and gave him money to replace it. Could the day get any worse?
We then headed to another high rise for a cat visit and the front desk couldn't find the key to the apartment. It SHOULD have been there, I returned it last night. So then I had to go upstairs and wait for maintenance
to let me in. He found me sitting on the floor by her door with my knees under my chin.
So there you go, death does come in 3's. The cat, the battery, the mirror. I am drained physically. I am drained emotionally. All I want to do is watch Netflix in the dark and sleep. Today was literally "One of those days"
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Expect the Unexpected
I had the same dogs for a lunch and dinner visit today. I went there at 1 pm and all was normal. I went back at 5 and saw that the one dog came out of the crate with her fur all wet on her torso. Upon closer inspection, I saw that she had chewed a chunk of fur off and had been chewing her itchy skin for the past 4 hours. Sigh....
I called the owner to see if she had any topical ointment or an e-collar. She did not, so I ran her over to the vet (1 block away) to get an e-collar and attempt to get some ointment. If she chewed on herself for the rest of the night, she would probably end up needing oral antibiotics. Even though I was the annoying client that I always complained about just walking in and asking for meds, she got what she needed and will hopefully have a more comfortable evening. Much thanks to QVAH for helping me out yet again!
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Loss of a Client
A little over 2 weeks ago I lost one of my favorite human clients to cancer. Her name was Vera and she was an incredible woman. She wasn't technically my client, but more like a grandmother figure/friend (She was in her early 80's) Picture Magda from Sex and the City - that is the best way to describe her. She was the mother of my actual client who would stay at the apartment with their cat when they went on trips. The cat had a rough go of it and I was originally hired to medicate the cat while they were away. This poor cat had 2 blood transfusions (among other things ) and needed a lot of medication in the beginning. I would give the cat her meds and stay to chat with her afterwards. After a while the cat was off meds and I would just go to check in and clean the litterbox when the owners were on vacation. Her daughter made sure that I didn't let her touch the litter since she was getting treated for cancer and her immune system was weaker. It became a check on the cat and my mother situation (although it was never really said) .
I loved spending time there and chatting with her. She would tell me stories about growing up in Serbia. She loved cats and on occasion would sneak kittens home in her coat,. One time she took one from someones window - he mother made her return it. We would talk about traveling, how it was stupid that the Dorchester didn't allow cats but people still snuck them in there, food (she loved Chinese food and really good bread). She would always pay close attention to what I was saying and refer back the next time that I saw her, even if it was 3 months later. She always asked about Mike and my parents even though she never met them. I showed her pictures of my cats and kittens that I would foster and she would ooh and ahh over them. Last Christmas I found a candle that smelled like fresh bread and dropped it off to her in her building!
Her daughter and son in law live in a beautiful apartment but the electronics are very high tech. Almost every time they went away she got the TV to turn on and she would watch her tennis, but then the TV wouldn't shut off. Or the picture shut off and not the sound. And the volume got stuck so she would try to sleep with the TV blaring sports in the next room. This kept happening and she never learned how to use it properly. I tried to figure it out and I may as well have been on a spaceship. That TV system drove her nuts! And there are also a ton of beautiful orchids in the apartment that she would have to care for and water. She loved the orchids, but watering them took the whole day for her and was so tedious. She always made a face, but did it anyway for her daughter.
As she got weaker, she still refused to ask for help. She was so strong and so proud and would only ask me to get things that were too high up on the shelf. She was independent and stubborn - always saying "I don't know why you have to be here, I tell her I can do myself. I do like to see you dear Debbie, but I can do." She knew that her daughter needed her and she said that she has to be strong for her. She endured so many transfusions and cancer treatments and this last one made her feel awful. She lost her appetite along with her hair and her pink cheeks. I brought her a loaf from Sarcones to try to get her to eat and she tried to make me promise that her daughter would reimburse me for it! I said, "No way!" She said, "Debbie, be good girl, let her give you money." I told her that if I want to spend $2.50 on a loaf of bread for her, I have the right to do that. Boy did she fight me on that! (literally, for about 30 minutes)
The last time I saw her she was telling me about people that she was meeting at Fox Chase Cancer Center. She said she met a woman with a very sweet husband and the woman said to her, "My husband is wonderful. He is so nice and so sweet and I am a bitch!" Vera was taken aback and told her, "No... no, you're not a bitch." And the woman said, "No, I really am, and he is so nice." She told me this story and couldn't believe that the woman saw herself like that. So Vera's last words to me as I was leaving the apartment were this, "Oh my Dear Debbie. You be good girl. Don't be a bitch!" I kind of love that those were her last words to me.
A few weeks later I went over there for a nail trim and no one mentioned her. A month later I went for another nail trim and her daughter told me that she was there in the apartment for about 6 weeks. They had stopped treatment. She was there for the previous nail trim, but didn't want me to know because she didn't want to get into goodbyes. Then that day it was too late.She couldn't really see or hear and was just in bed. I know her and I know that she wouldn't have wanted me to see her like that, but it was tough being that and not even being able to say goodbye or hug her. About 2 weeks later she passed away. I'm beyond grateful that I got to know her as well as I did. Not only did I learn a lot about her and her family history, but I learned alot about the love a mother has for her daughter. I miss her and going to that apartment will never be the same for me ever again. I'm sure there will be tears, but I know that she will be there with me saying, "Mish Mish, Debbie will kiss you now." R.I.P. Vera, you were an incredible woman. You will be missed by many and I hope to one day hug you again.
I loved spending time there and chatting with her. She would tell me stories about growing up in Serbia. She loved cats and on occasion would sneak kittens home in her coat,. One time she took one from someones window - he mother made her return it. We would talk about traveling, how it was stupid that the Dorchester didn't allow cats but people still snuck them in there, food (she loved Chinese food and really good bread). She would always pay close attention to what I was saying and refer back the next time that I saw her, even if it was 3 months later. She always asked about Mike and my parents even though she never met them. I showed her pictures of my cats and kittens that I would foster and she would ooh and ahh over them. Last Christmas I found a candle that smelled like fresh bread and dropped it off to her in her building!
Her daughter and son in law live in a beautiful apartment but the electronics are very high tech. Almost every time they went away she got the TV to turn on and she would watch her tennis, but then the TV wouldn't shut off. Or the picture shut off and not the sound. And the volume got stuck so she would try to sleep with the TV blaring sports in the next room. This kept happening and she never learned how to use it properly. I tried to figure it out and I may as well have been on a spaceship. That TV system drove her nuts! And there are also a ton of beautiful orchids in the apartment that she would have to care for and water. She loved the orchids, but watering them took the whole day for her and was so tedious. She always made a face, but did it anyway for her daughter.
As she got weaker, she still refused to ask for help. She was so strong and so proud and would only ask me to get things that were too high up on the shelf. She was independent and stubborn - always saying "I don't know why you have to be here, I tell her I can do myself. I do like to see you dear Debbie, but I can do." She knew that her daughter needed her and she said that she has to be strong for her. She endured so many transfusions and cancer treatments and this last one made her feel awful. She lost her appetite along with her hair and her pink cheeks. I brought her a loaf from Sarcones to try to get her to eat and she tried to make me promise that her daughter would reimburse me for it! I said, "No way!" She said, "Debbie, be good girl, let her give you money." I told her that if I want to spend $2.50 on a loaf of bread for her, I have the right to do that. Boy did she fight me on that! (literally, for about 30 minutes)
The last time I saw her she was telling me about people that she was meeting at Fox Chase Cancer Center. She said she met a woman with a very sweet husband and the woman said to her, "My husband is wonderful. He is so nice and so sweet and I am a bitch!" Vera was taken aback and told her, "No... no, you're not a bitch." And the woman said, "No, I really am, and he is so nice." She told me this story and couldn't believe that the woman saw herself like that. So Vera's last words to me as I was leaving the apartment were this, "Oh my Dear Debbie. You be good girl. Don't be a bitch!" I kind of love that those were her last words to me.
A few weeks later I went over there for a nail trim and no one mentioned her. A month later I went for another nail trim and her daughter told me that she was there in the apartment for about 6 weeks. They had stopped treatment. She was there for the previous nail trim, but didn't want me to know because she didn't want to get into goodbyes. Then that day it was too late.She couldn't really see or hear and was just in bed. I know her and I know that she wouldn't have wanted me to see her like that, but it was tough being that and not even being able to say goodbye or hug her. About 2 weeks later she passed away. I'm beyond grateful that I got to know her as well as I did. Not only did I learn a lot about her and her family history, but I learned alot about the love a mother has for her daughter. I miss her and going to that apartment will never be the same for me ever again. I'm sure there will be tears, but I know that she will be there with me saying, "Mish Mish, Debbie will kiss you now." R.I.P. Vera, you were an incredible woman. You will be missed by many and I hope to one day hug you again.
Monday, August 31, 2015
Retract This Contraption!
I came across this picture yesterday and it was so ironic because I was going to do a blog post on this very subject!
I loathe retractable leashes. Here's why:
*They always stick when you are trying to pull the dog back
*You cannot grip them the way you would need to if something emergent happened (dog attack, hit by car, crazy child running towards dog) You need a leash to be able to wrap around your wrist so that dog cannot go anywhere
*If your hands sweat, gripping plastic doesn't work. You WILL drop the holder and the dog COULD run
*The dog can grab the plastic handle out of your hand with it's teeth and take off (happened to me) This could not happen with a leash
*They can figure out if they run fast enough and the lead isn't in a locked position, it will get to the end and snap - there goes your dog
*If the lock doesn't work properly on it (and it never does) and you need to pull them back quicker by pulling the rope, you will get rope burn and it will slice up your hands (again, happened to me)
They may be great in a field, but not on city streets - trust me. I always hope for another option and cringe when all I see is the retractable.
These should be banned, but since they are not - make good choices!! :)
I loathe retractable leashes. Here's why:
*They always stick when you are trying to pull the dog back
*You cannot grip them the way you would need to if something emergent happened (dog attack, hit by car, crazy child running towards dog) You need a leash to be able to wrap around your wrist so that dog cannot go anywhere
*If your hands sweat, gripping plastic doesn't work. You WILL drop the holder and the dog COULD run
*The dog can grab the plastic handle out of your hand with it's teeth and take off (happened to me) This could not happen with a leash
*They can figure out if they run fast enough and the lead isn't in a locked position, it will get to the end and snap - there goes your dog
*If the lock doesn't work properly on it (and it never does) and you need to pull them back quicker by pulling the rope, you will get rope burn and it will slice up your hands (again, happened to me)
They may be great in a field, but not on city streets - trust me. I always hope for another option and cringe when all I see is the retractable.
These should be banned, but since they are not - make good choices!! :)
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Sometimes I Really Hate People #1
Tonight is trash night. I was leaving a cat job today with a full bag of dirty litter, and that was it for trash. Sometimes on a bog street the trash folks "overlook" 1 small bag of trash so I usually put it with someone else's. Their next door neighbor (older guy, late 60's/early 70's) had HIS trash out at the time so I said, "Do you mind if I put this bag with your trash? I don't want the trash guys to miss it because it's small." He looks at it and me and goes, "What is it?" and I said, "Their trash (pointing to the house next door)." He says, "Is that cat litter?" I told him it was, and his response? "Well you can't put it in the recycling bucket." And I said, "I know, I just wanted to place it next to your trash bag so that they will take it." He then says, "Oh, I don't go for that." I looked at him puzzled. Could he really be telling me NOT to put my small bag of trash next to his? He says, "Well what happens if someone rips it open?" At that point I just said, "You know what?! I'll just take it with me!" and walked off in a huff. Seriously?? What if HIS trash bag is ripped open? Perhaps by me.....
Yesterday I walked to a trashcan in a small parking lot next to a building that I pass by every day. I had 2 poop bags with me and a ride that came to pick me up right then. I am walking towards the trashcan and a woman waiting at the door says, "Do you mind if i ask you what you are doing?" I replied, " I'm going to the trashcan to throw this away." She then proceeds to tell me that she'd rather I not throw away my trash in their trashcan. That it is a "private" trashcan and the city doesn't deal with it. They have to empty it. She was being calm and asking nicely, so I said, "Ok, I understand that, but I have a ride waiting for me right over there and I am right here (holding poop) - can I just throw this away right now?" She says, "I'd really rather you not..." Again, my reply was to walk away in a huff and take 2 poop bags with me in the car.
I later find out that this private trash can is for the Women of Hope building. Um.... you are helping women all over the city but I can't use your trashcan in your parking lot? ?
I am a woman, and I HOPE this doesn't happen again. I hope to throw away my TRASH in their TRASHCAN.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
A Crazy Man, His Crazy Wife, A Few Neighbors, and the Police
I have to take a deep breath before writing this. I toyed with not blogging about this particular situation because I not only does it bring up anxiety in me, but some of you may not look at me in such a favorable light after reading it. I will preface this story by stating that I am a human with an anxiety disorder. I am prone to panic attacks (always have been) and a lot of my anxiety stems from being stifled and holding things in. The other part is just chemical. It comes on with no warning and I just have to deal with it. This is a big reason for this blog. I have things in me that I can get out on paper (figuratively) and them it's not so much "in me", but "out there." So here we go.
I have been walking a particular dog down a particular street roughly three times a week for about 6 months. I'll give you a mental picture. There is a line of newly constructed townhouses. Then behind those there is a common driveway and another line of newly constructed townhouses. They were all built right around the same time (same developer, same design, etc) , so I had always assumed that they were affiliated. The dog lives in one of the houses on the one and he likes to walk around the corner where it's quiet and do his business. He always pees at the very front of the common driveway and poops at the end. I pick it up and we are on our way. We have been doing this for 6 months, and on Friday some lunatic man comes charging out of his house screaming at me. Literally screaming at the top of his lungs "This is private property!!! You need to leave! Don't walk your fucking dog here! " Then his lunatic wife comes out right behind him and joins in the screaming. "It's fucking private property! You can't be here!" They are yelling so loud and won't let me get a word in. So there I was , standing in a common driveway about 10 feet from his front door with a dog getting yelled at. Of course my first reaction is to yell back , and it went something like, "Whoa!!! There is NO sign that says this is private property. The dog lives right here (and I point)" They respond even louder "This is fucking private property!! There doesn't need to be a sign, I'm telling you to fucking leave!"
I will segue into this statement. If I had a nickel for every time someone in South Philly tried to tell me that something was private property when it wasn't, I'd be rich. For example, the bitch on Kimball who said that the street and sidewalk behind the business across the street from her house was private and a dog couldn't walk there, the bitch on Christian in the section 8 housing that said the tree across the street from her house was private and to "walk my fucking dog somewhere else", the bitch on Carpenter who said the tree and the sidewalk were private and kids play there so I can't walk a dog past (just to name a few) So when someone just starts yelling at me using the phrase "Private Property" and there is no indication that is IS private, I stand my ground. There was no sign, no gate, no rope....nothing.
Anyway, he continues to throw a tantrum that I am standing there and after telling me that I'm lucky I'm not a guy because he would have punched me by now - he says he is going to call the cops. I told him to go ahead and he said, "Oh! She thinks I"m bluffing! Ok, fine!!"
So he calls the cops (again, I am standing still in a common driveway with a dog not bothering anything) and this is what he says when they pick up: "Yeah, I'm calling because there is a girl who CLAIMS she is a dog walker and she is on my property and refuses to leave. She is trespassing on my property!"
I hear this and yell "I'm in the driveway!!!!!" So I decided to call as well because this crazy man ran who I have never seen before ran out of his house and verbally attacked and threatened me. We are both waiting for police, then EVERY ONE OF HIS NEIGHBORS COMES OUT. They all gang up on me like I'm the high school geek that showed up to a popular party. Snotty remarks "Why don't you just leave?" "Why don't you just go? He told you it was private property! Just leave!!"
I'm trying to explain to these people that there is NO sign anywhere stating that this is private, so how am I supposed to know? They all say that there doesn't need to be one - and the one lady who HAD a dog (that she let come out off leash) gets all heated with me and says "Well I guess I should just go inside and make a sign that says private property then! I guess I should go get some crayons and just make a sign! (throwing her hands up in the air) " And I said, "Yeah, maybe you should! How is anyone supposed to know?? "
Then a female cop comes over, hearing the commotion and tries to help. Lunatic man immediately starts running his mouth and pointing his finger "This is private property and she won't leave!!!" And the officer said, "Whoa! Sir, calm down! Did you call the police then?" And he said yes, we were waiting for them to come. She said that she was just coming from court and she was off duty, she just came over because she saw this guy going crazy and ganging up on me. HE acted like a maniac in front of the cop (which was what I was hoping) and I was just calm trying to explain that this dog is skiddish with loud noises and construction and there are no signs stating that this was private property, plus the dog lives 2 feet away. But that there was no need to attack me for walking down a common driveway that is fully open to a main street. She listened to them all bitch like children and then walked me out of there. First thing out of her mouth was , "It was 6 against 1 over there, you know YOU can call the cops too!" I told her that I did, we were just waiting. And since she had a brain we talked for about 10 minutes. I explained the situation and asked the real question. How is someone to know where to go and what is private if there are no signs telling you anything? She said she understood and it's tricky and that people are SO territorial in South Philly that you never REALLY know without a sign. I told her that no matter where I go, all day long I get yelled at for walking a dog near something, so this is nothing new - but people have never treated me this badly. She said she understood and that guy was insane and to just not go back because she doesn't know what he is capable of. Of course I agree and it sucks that this dogs safe pee spot is taken away - but I had to get to the bottom of all of this.
I immediately went home and researched the property. It turns out that the 2 sets of new construction are not related at all, other than having the same developer. The houses in question have an HOA and that common driveway is maintained by the HOA. So here you go. You have a common driveway with a line of houses, each with their own carport. It is open to a main numbered with no gate or fence. There are no signs that say NO TRESPASSING or PRIVATE PROPERTY, but the residents come out like they are persecuting you for witchery in 1692 just for walking with a dog down there! PUT UP A SIGN!!!! If I saw a sign, I would have never set foot on their blacktop. They have a youtube channel for their security camera and there is 1 video posted from January 2015 of 2 trashy women (1 eating takeout as she is walking down the driveway) and they tried to break in to a few of those houses. Um.... 2 women try to break in to your houses in January and no one is there causing a ruckus yelling but I walk a dog by your house and I get treated like a criminal??!! And why is it that there were attempted robberies in January, but in July there is still no sign saying no trespassing??? Or a gate put up?? What are HOA fees for??
To summarize this tale, I will give you this.
Dog walked in same route for 6+ months
Out of nowhere, it is suddenly a crime and I am yelled at by someone I have never even seen before
Cops called - broken up because man is a lunatic but the cop couldn't even agree that is was private because THERE WAS NO SIGN
Dog walker angry and shit outta luck with this dog finding another quiet pee spot
My main gripe is that if you don't want someone on your property, proper signage is KEY. Then if someone is there, you just point to it and call the police because you do have a leg to stand on. I wasn't trying to cause I riot, I wasn't going to have a fist fight, I wasn't refusing to leave like a sit in - I was just simply standing up for myself. I am a tough bitch and if some crazy man and his wife come out of a house and just yell at me to leave when I am not causing a bit of trouble , I am NOT the type of person to run away or just hang my head down low and say "Ooookkkk" and saunter off. That is not me. If you can't be civilized with me and ask me nicely, then I am sticking around to try to explain my side. If you don't want to hear it and you won't calm down, cops are being called and THEY will listen to my side. It's a matter of human decency. You can't just treat a complete stranger like that with no backlash. The whole thing is recorded and I would LOVE to see it. That guy should have been cited for harassment and threatening a female that was simply trying to do her job, but he wasn't. Karma will get him, and if he can get worked up like that over dog 10 feet from his house, I imagine a real fight is likely in the near future with some guy who WILL punch him. And I hope he punches him hard enough to knock some sense into his brain, because no one should have to live with that much anger inside.
PS) They put a sign up on the back fence 2 days later. Ironic thing is, you can't see it from the street and you HAVE to walk all the way down the driveway to read it. Looks like someone else is getting yelled at in the near future. But honestly, I'm satisfied. All I wanted was a sign.
I have been walking a particular dog down a particular street roughly three times a week for about 6 months. I'll give you a mental picture. There is a line of newly constructed townhouses. Then behind those there is a common driveway and another line of newly constructed townhouses. They were all built right around the same time (same developer, same design, etc) , so I had always assumed that they were affiliated. The dog lives in one of the houses on the one and he likes to walk around the corner where it's quiet and do his business. He always pees at the very front of the common driveway and poops at the end. I pick it up and we are on our way. We have been doing this for 6 months, and on Friday some lunatic man comes charging out of his house screaming at me. Literally screaming at the top of his lungs "This is private property!!! You need to leave! Don't walk your fucking dog here! " Then his lunatic wife comes out right behind him and joins in the screaming. "It's fucking private property! You can't be here!" They are yelling so loud and won't let me get a word in. So there I was , standing in a common driveway about 10 feet from his front door with a dog getting yelled at. Of course my first reaction is to yell back , and it went something like, "Whoa!!! There is NO sign that says this is private property. The dog lives right here (and I point)" They respond even louder "This is fucking private property!! There doesn't need to be a sign, I'm telling you to fucking leave!"
I will segue into this statement. If I had a nickel for every time someone in South Philly tried to tell me that something was private property when it wasn't, I'd be rich. For example, the bitch on Kimball who said that the street and sidewalk behind the business across the street from her house was private and a dog couldn't walk there, the bitch on Christian in the section 8 housing that said the tree across the street from her house was private and to "walk my fucking dog somewhere else", the bitch on Carpenter who said the tree and the sidewalk were private and kids play there so I can't walk a dog past (just to name a few) So when someone just starts yelling at me using the phrase "Private Property" and there is no indication that is IS private, I stand my ground. There was no sign, no gate, no rope....nothing.
Anyway, he continues to throw a tantrum that I am standing there and after telling me that I'm lucky I'm not a guy because he would have punched me by now - he says he is going to call the cops. I told him to go ahead and he said, "Oh! She thinks I"m bluffing! Ok, fine!!"
So he calls the cops (again, I am standing still in a common driveway with a dog not bothering anything) and this is what he says when they pick up: "Yeah, I'm calling because there is a girl who CLAIMS she is a dog walker and she is on my property and refuses to leave. She is trespassing on my property!"
I hear this and yell "I'm in the driveway!!!!!" So I decided to call as well because this crazy man ran who I have never seen before ran out of his house and verbally attacked and threatened me. We are both waiting for police, then EVERY ONE OF HIS NEIGHBORS COMES OUT. They all gang up on me like I'm the high school geek that showed up to a popular party. Snotty remarks "Why don't you just leave?" "Why don't you just go? He told you it was private property! Just leave!!"
I'm trying to explain to these people that there is NO sign anywhere stating that this is private, so how am I supposed to know? They all say that there doesn't need to be one - and the one lady who HAD a dog (that she let come out off leash) gets all heated with me and says "Well I guess I should just go inside and make a sign that says private property then! I guess I should go get some crayons and just make a sign! (throwing her hands up in the air) " And I said, "Yeah, maybe you should! How is anyone supposed to know?? "
Then a female cop comes over, hearing the commotion and tries to help. Lunatic man immediately starts running his mouth and pointing his finger "This is private property and she won't leave!!!" And the officer said, "Whoa! Sir, calm down! Did you call the police then?" And he said yes, we were waiting for them to come. She said that she was just coming from court and she was off duty, she just came over because she saw this guy going crazy and ganging up on me. HE acted like a maniac in front of the cop (which was what I was hoping) and I was just calm trying to explain that this dog is skiddish with loud noises and construction and there are no signs stating that this was private property, plus the dog lives 2 feet away. But that there was no need to attack me for walking down a common driveway that is fully open to a main street. She listened to them all bitch like children and then walked me out of there. First thing out of her mouth was , "It was 6 against 1 over there, you know YOU can call the cops too!" I told her that I did, we were just waiting. And since she had a brain we talked for about 10 minutes. I explained the situation and asked the real question. How is someone to know where to go and what is private if there are no signs telling you anything? She said she understood and it's tricky and that people are SO territorial in South Philly that you never REALLY know without a sign. I told her that no matter where I go, all day long I get yelled at for walking a dog near something, so this is nothing new - but people have never treated me this badly. She said she understood and that guy was insane and to just not go back because she doesn't know what he is capable of. Of course I agree and it sucks that this dogs safe pee spot is taken away - but I had to get to the bottom of all of this.
I immediately went home and researched the property. It turns out that the 2 sets of new construction are not related at all, other than having the same developer. The houses in question have an HOA and that common driveway is maintained by the HOA. So here you go. You have a common driveway with a line of houses, each with their own carport. It is open to a main numbered with no gate or fence. There are no signs that say NO TRESPASSING or PRIVATE PROPERTY, but the residents come out like they are persecuting you for witchery in 1692 just for walking with a dog down there! PUT UP A SIGN!!!! If I saw a sign, I would have never set foot on their blacktop. They have a youtube channel for their security camera and there is 1 video posted from January 2015 of 2 trashy women (1 eating takeout as she is walking down the driveway) and they tried to break in to a few of those houses. Um.... 2 women try to break in to your houses in January and no one is there causing a ruckus yelling but I walk a dog by your house and I get treated like a criminal??!! And why is it that there were attempted robberies in January, but in July there is still no sign saying no trespassing??? Or a gate put up?? What are HOA fees for??
To summarize this tale, I will give you this.
Dog walked in same route for 6+ months
Out of nowhere, it is suddenly a crime and I am yelled at by someone I have never even seen before
Cops called - broken up because man is a lunatic but the cop couldn't even agree that is was private because THERE WAS NO SIGN
Dog walker angry and shit outta luck with this dog finding another quiet pee spot
My main gripe is that if you don't want someone on your property, proper signage is KEY. Then if someone is there, you just point to it and call the police because you do have a leg to stand on. I wasn't trying to cause I riot, I wasn't going to have a fist fight, I wasn't refusing to leave like a sit in - I was just simply standing up for myself. I am a tough bitch and if some crazy man and his wife come out of a house and just yell at me to leave when I am not causing a bit of trouble , I am NOT the type of person to run away or just hang my head down low and say "Ooookkkk" and saunter off. That is not me. If you can't be civilized with me and ask me nicely, then I am sticking around to try to explain my side. If you don't want to hear it and you won't calm down, cops are being called and THEY will listen to my side. It's a matter of human decency. You can't just treat a complete stranger like that with no backlash. The whole thing is recorded and I would LOVE to see it. That guy should have been cited for harassment and threatening a female that was simply trying to do her job, but he wasn't. Karma will get him, and if he can get worked up like that over dog 10 feet from his house, I imagine a real fight is likely in the near future with some guy who WILL punch him. And I hope he punches him hard enough to knock some sense into his brain, because no one should have to live with that much anger inside.
PS) They put a sign up on the back fence 2 days later. Ironic thing is, you can't see it from the street and you HAVE to walk all the way down the driveway to read it. Looks like someone else is getting yelled at in the near future. But honestly, I'm satisfied. All I wanted was a sign.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Bicycle Troll
Terry and I were walking down 7th st with a Pitbull and a Shepherd when we see a guy on a bike crash into a parked car. I heard a crash, a thud, and them him screaming at the top of his lungs, "Fuuuuuuccckkk!!!!!!!" I immediately think that he is broken somewhere with the blood curdling scream. So we stop and I see him get up. The conversation went like this:
Me: "Hey, are you ok??"
Him: "Fuuccckkk!!! That was a $700 bike! I don't have the money to fucking fix that!!!"
Me: "Yeah, but are YOU Ok?"
Him: (random screams and cursing and throwing the bike around. full blown adult tantrum)
Me: "Do you need me to call someone? Do you need an ambulance? " (the shepherd is growling at him at this point)
Him : (more yelling and getting back on the sidewalk towards me AND the growling dog)
At this point we walk away. I guess he is made of rubber and more concerned with the bike. So we turn the corner and he comes up behind us about 5 minutes later and yells , "YO! You got a screwdriver??" I of course don't bring my tool set on dog walks, so my answer was no. He then turns toward the parking lot and yells at a man IN a car "Yo buddy! You got a screwdriver??" The guy drives away and he just yells, DICK!!!!"
I look at him and say "There are 3 different business right here, I'm sure someone has .." and before I could finish my sentence another neighborhood guy walks out of the restaurant and he asked him for a screwdriver. I believe that guy helped him because we saw this bike guy riding around the neighborhood for the rest of the day. I don't know if he was drunk, or high, or jut stupid and mean, but I would rather not see his screwed up face on a daily basis. Dude is a loose cannon ready to pop.
Me: "Hey, are you ok??"
Him: "Fuuccckkk!!! That was a $700 bike! I don't have the money to fucking fix that!!!"
Me: "Yeah, but are YOU Ok?"
Him: (random screams and cursing and throwing the bike around. full blown adult tantrum)
Me: "Do you need me to call someone? Do you need an ambulance? " (the shepherd is growling at him at this point)
Him : (more yelling and getting back on the sidewalk towards me AND the growling dog)
At this point we walk away. I guess he is made of rubber and more concerned with the bike. So we turn the corner and he comes up behind us about 5 minutes later and yells , "YO! You got a screwdriver??" I of course don't bring my tool set on dog walks, so my answer was no. He then turns toward the parking lot and yells at a man IN a car "Yo buddy! You got a screwdriver??" The guy drives away and he just yells, DICK!!!!"
I look at him and say "There are 3 different business right here, I'm sure someone has .." and before I could finish my sentence another neighborhood guy walks out of the restaurant and he asked him for a screwdriver. I believe that guy helped him because we saw this bike guy riding around the neighborhood for the rest of the day. I don't know if he was drunk, or high, or jut stupid and mean, but I would rather not see his screwed up face on a daily basis. Dude is a loose cannon ready to pop.
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
KITTENS!
I have a litter of 5 kittens that I am fostering. They all need homes. They were born in a backyard in South Philly and the owners of the house were supposed to foster them but backed out at the last minute because they never owned an animal. My client went to go help trap them and she ended up with them because these people just turned their backs. She is going away tomorrow and had nowhere for them to go(plus her house a construction zone from water damage) So I took them. They have fleas. They have giardia (and I assume other parasites). And they have ringworm. They smell, the are little poop machines, and they eat everything I put in their faces. They are also ADORABLE! They are super sweet, super playful, and they are troopers for all of their treatments and medications. They would be a wonderful friend to a person or current animal - please adopt them! They are about 7 weeks right now - won't be ready for a few weeks as the ringworm has to clear up. 3 boys and 2 girls. Share with friends and pet owners!
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Nasty Neighbors Are A Nuisance To Normals
There is a local website that is set up by neighborhood to give people links to local events, neighborhood news, referrals for local businesses, etc. I have been on this site for over a year. I posted my business on there about a year ago and decided to do it again in the beginning of June. Since many of my clients are on this site as well, they commented under my posting to sing my praises! How wonderful!
However in every group, there is a bad apple. This particular bad apple will remain nameless right now. Actually no, lets call him FF (Stands for Fuck Face) So, FF gets on to my posting and begins to shame people for referring me. He first states that I am in the wrong section. He then says that I should contact the site to be commercial. He THEN tells people to stop publicly referring me, that they can do so in private messaging. He told me that I had enough praise and that I should just take the posting down. This went on for DAYS. My clients (and even people that I didn't know) immediately came to my defense! They stated that that was what this site was for! (True) And that they had every right to tell people how happy they are with my services. (Also true) We went back and forth. I tried to stay out of it, but I finally had to speak up. I sent FF a private message asking him to stop harassing me and my clients. I asked him why he cared in the first place. I asked, "What's it to you if I post on here? Why do you care how people respond when it is all positive?" I asked him to refrain from any more comments and to just ignore me. Well, he didn't. Things escalated and he started an argument with another neighbor on there under my business posting! How inappropriate! Then FF had MY postings flagged! I was receiving emails from complete strangers telling me what an ass FF was and to just ignore him. They said that he is a hated man who thinks he knows it all. That he has way too much time on his hands and wants to control everything.
Given all of this information, I could not be stifled any longer. I decided to tell FF off under my posting just long enough for him to see it and then close the entire thread. I don't remember exactly what I said word for word, but it was something along the lines of "This is bordering on harassment. You are not my boss or my father or the moderator or this site so you have NO right to tell me what I can and cannot post." There may have been a few more expletives in there .... it was warranted, believe me.
A few weeks went by (this was around the first week in June). My schedule was busy, I wasn't checking emails that were not work related , and then yesterday I received a letter in the mail from L&I (License & Inspection for those of you not in Philly) It stated that They came to my home to do a property investigation and that I was being cited a property violation because I was operating a business without a Commercial Activity License. I read this letter about 6 times to make sure that I understood. They stated that I could appeal, but I would have to print out an appeal form and hand deliver it to Broad and JFK within 30 days. I immediately called, but the office was closed. I emailed the investigator and explained the situation. The more I thought about it, the more this seemed to be the work of FF. Why would the city come after me out of nowhere? Especially since I have been a registered business since 2010?
I emailed my contact who knows FF (and his partner) and asked if he thought that FF would do something like this. His reply was "Absolutely. I put nothing past him." Sigh.... I then saw that he had me kicked off of the neighborhood website.
So this morning I called L&I to inquire about this letter. I was informed that someone made a complaint that I was operating a business out of my home without a license and that is why they investigated. I asked if they could tell me who made the complaint. Her reply was, "I don't know who it was. YOU would have a better idea than I would of who would do this." The ONLY person that I could think of was FF. The timing of the complaint coincides with our spat on the stupid website about my offering pet sitting services. So I asked her why I was in violation. She said, "Because you don't have a business privilege license." And I said, "But I DO have a business privilege license!" And she seemed surprised and said, "Well fax me your license number and this all goes away." So I did. And it did. The one thing that did not go away is FF. I have no beef with anyone else. No one else would do this to me. Not my neighbors, not my clients, no one except for this South Philly psycho with too much time on his hands. This man literally tried to disrupt my life and business because he didn't like my business posting on a neighborhood website and I wouldn't let him have control of the situation. Karma is a bitch and FF will get his - that I am sure of. From what I hear he has a line of enemies just waiting to pounce. I am in the back of that line just waiting to see what happens next.
However in every group, there is a bad apple. This particular bad apple will remain nameless right now. Actually no, lets call him FF (Stands for Fuck Face) So, FF gets on to my posting and begins to shame people for referring me. He first states that I am in the wrong section. He then says that I should contact the site to be commercial. He THEN tells people to stop publicly referring me, that they can do so in private messaging. He told me that I had enough praise and that I should just take the posting down. This went on for DAYS. My clients (and even people that I didn't know) immediately came to my defense! They stated that that was what this site was for! (True) And that they had every right to tell people how happy they are with my services. (Also true) We went back and forth. I tried to stay out of it, but I finally had to speak up. I sent FF a private message asking him to stop harassing me and my clients. I asked him why he cared in the first place. I asked, "What's it to you if I post on here? Why do you care how people respond when it is all positive?" I asked him to refrain from any more comments and to just ignore me. Well, he didn't. Things escalated and he started an argument with another neighbor on there under my business posting! How inappropriate! Then FF had MY postings flagged! I was receiving emails from complete strangers telling me what an ass FF was and to just ignore him. They said that he is a hated man who thinks he knows it all. That he has way too much time on his hands and wants to control everything.
Given all of this information, I could not be stifled any longer. I decided to tell FF off under my posting just long enough for him to see it and then close the entire thread. I don't remember exactly what I said word for word, but it was something along the lines of "This is bordering on harassment. You are not my boss or my father or the moderator or this site so you have NO right to tell me what I can and cannot post." There may have been a few more expletives in there .... it was warranted, believe me.
A few weeks went by (this was around the first week in June). My schedule was busy, I wasn't checking emails that were not work related , and then yesterday I received a letter in the mail from L&I (License & Inspection for those of you not in Philly) It stated that They came to my home to do a property investigation and that I was being cited a property violation because I was operating a business without a Commercial Activity License. I read this letter about 6 times to make sure that I understood. They stated that I could appeal, but I would have to print out an appeal form and hand deliver it to Broad and JFK within 30 days. I immediately called, but the office was closed. I emailed the investigator and explained the situation. The more I thought about it, the more this seemed to be the work of FF. Why would the city come after me out of nowhere? Especially since I have been a registered business since 2010?
I emailed my contact who knows FF (and his partner) and asked if he thought that FF would do something like this. His reply was "Absolutely. I put nothing past him." Sigh.... I then saw that he had me kicked off of the neighborhood website.
So this morning I called L&I to inquire about this letter. I was informed that someone made a complaint that I was operating a business out of my home without a license and that is why they investigated. I asked if they could tell me who made the complaint. Her reply was, "I don't know who it was. YOU would have a better idea than I would of who would do this." The ONLY person that I could think of was FF. The timing of the complaint coincides with our spat on the stupid website about my offering pet sitting services. So I asked her why I was in violation. She said, "Because you don't have a business privilege license." And I said, "But I DO have a business privilege license!" And she seemed surprised and said, "Well fax me your license number and this all goes away." So I did. And it did. The one thing that did not go away is FF. I have no beef with anyone else. No one else would do this to me. Not my neighbors, not my clients, no one except for this South Philly psycho with too much time on his hands. This man literally tried to disrupt my life and business because he didn't like my business posting on a neighborhood website and I wouldn't let him have control of the situation. Karma is a bitch and FF will get his - that I am sure of. From what I hear he has a line of enemies just waiting to pounce. I am in the back of that line just waiting to see what happens next.
This is how I envision FF in my mind (even though I know his name and his face) |
Poop Wars - the Illustrated Version
I have written so many times about crotchety neighbors yelling at me and other dog walkers about letting dogs go where they go outside. My main argument was this. If you do not want a dog using your tree PUT UP A SIGN! Then you can at least have something to back up your ranting! With this thought in mind, I decided to take pictures of signs for dogs all over the neighborhood to prove that there are many varieties and people do tend to obey them. They evoke a range of emotions..... I hope you all find this entertaining.
Thursday, June 18, 2015
I'm not a burglar!
A few weeks ago I was cat sitting for a long time client with a house alarm. I went in that morning and it was super hot in the house, so I tried to open the back window. Either I was too hot or it was too heavy, but I gave up and just closed it. I did my rounds (meds, food, litter, love) and set the alarm and left. This was about 8am. My next two stops were on the street behind him. I finished those up (both have alarms as well) and continued on with my day.
I received a phone call from the owner of the first house around 11am stating that the contractor next door told him that the alarm was gong off and the police came! He asked if I could go back over and take a look to make sure the alarm was set properly and that the house was intact. I headed straight there from the dog that I was with. I went in, shut the alarm off, looked around for broken windows, etc. - and saw nothing out of the ordinary. I called him to let him know and as I am on the phone with him, I hear a knock at the door. While on the phone with him, the police came back! They were in plain clothes and they flipped their badges at me. They said, "You know the alarm was going off..." I explained that I am the pet sitter, on the phone with the owner of the house if they wanted to talk to him (they didn't), and that everything was fine. They took my ID to run it as proof that I was there and explained that they were in plain clothes in a pickup truck because they were actually trying to catch a real burglar in the neighborhood! Awesome. Because then I had to leave and NOT set the alarm due to all of the mishaps of the morning.
All in all - it was damn awkward and I felt like a criminal for doing my job. The moral of the story is that I loathe alarm systems. They are a necessary evil, I get that - but I fear them for this very reason.
I received a phone call from the owner of the first house around 11am stating that the contractor next door told him that the alarm was gong off and the police came! He asked if I could go back over and take a look to make sure the alarm was set properly and that the house was intact. I headed straight there from the dog that I was with. I went in, shut the alarm off, looked around for broken windows, etc. - and saw nothing out of the ordinary. I called him to let him know and as I am on the phone with him, I hear a knock at the door. While on the phone with him, the police came back! They were in plain clothes and they flipped their badges at me. They said, "You know the alarm was going off..." I explained that I am the pet sitter, on the phone with the owner of the house if they wanted to talk to him (they didn't), and that everything was fine. They took my ID to run it as proof that I was there and explained that they were in plain clothes in a pickup truck because they were actually trying to catch a real burglar in the neighborhood! Awesome. Because then I had to leave and NOT set the alarm due to all of the mishaps of the morning.
All in all - it was damn awkward and I felt like a criminal for doing my job. The moral of the story is that I loathe alarm systems. They are a necessary evil, I get that - but I fear them for this very reason.
Monday, June 8, 2015
Dog Parks - Why Even Have Rules?
Let's discuss dog parks for a moment. I have had the pleasure of taking care of one of my "old man dogs" for the past week and a half. I see him for breakfast and dinner and each time we visit the dog park because that's where he does his business. He is a gentle soul - a 90 lb (give or take) lab/shepherd mix. He excitedly enters the park, pees, and then makes his round to all of the human people to say hello. He doesn't engage much with other dogs except for a few sniffs here and there.
During this particular stint with him, I will have walked him 23 times. That means 23 times at the park. I have met great people, great dogs, and even made some business contacts. I have however seen some things that are questionable. Well, questionable is very vague. I question the common sense of some people and THAT is questionable. Every dog park has a set of rules. These rules are posted outside of the park, completely visible to anyone that is entering. They even used to have a sign with a picture of a dog with his back to you showing his giant hairy testicles to say "Dogs must be neutered to enter". The rules at each dog park don't vary much - They are essentially just stating the obvious. This is the actual list of rules from the park that I am speaking of:
PARK RULES
During this particular stint with him, I will have walked him 23 times. That means 23 times at the park. I have met great people, great dogs, and even made some business contacts. I have however seen some things that are questionable. Well, questionable is very vague. I question the common sense of some people and THAT is questionable. Every dog park has a set of rules. These rules are posted outside of the park, completely visible to anyone that is entering. They even used to have a sign with a picture of a dog with his back to you showing his giant hairy testicles to say "Dogs must be neutered to enter". The rules at each dog park don't vary much - They are essentially just stating the obvious. This is the actual list of rules from the park that I am speaking of:
PARK RULES
- All dog run users must observe city laws and ordinances, including:
- Dogs must be licensed and vaccinated.
- Dog waste must be disposed of properly.
- Dogs outside of run must remain on leashes at all times.
- The following dogs are NOT permitted in the dog run:
- Puppies under 4 months and ANY dog not fully vaccinated as recommended by your veterinarian.
- Un-neutered males and female dogs in heat.
- Sick dogs.
- Children 10 and under are not permitted in Seger dog park.
- Children 11-15 must be accompanied by an adult.
- Leashes must be removed upon entering the dog run.
- Collars must be worn in the dog run.
- The following collars are not permitted in the dog run:
- Prong
- Choke
- Heavy chain link
- Spike collars
- No toys allowed except for standard tennis balls.
- Smoking, food and alcohol are not permitted in the dog run.
- Pay Attention.
- No biting, fighting or bullying allowed.
- Dog owners are responsible for removing their dog immediately if your dog displays aggressive behavior.
- Repair any damage caused by your dog's digging.
- Limit of three (3) dogs per owner.
DOGS MUST BE SUPERVISED BY OWNERS AT ALL TIME
Dog owners / handlers must be inside the park and within view and voice control of their dogs at all times.
Be Advised: All persons using Dog Park assume any and all risks associated with the use of the dog park.
- No attendant is on duty. Users of this facility do so entirely at their own risk.Report Unsafe Behavior!To report immediate danger, call 911.
Any of the following information is helpful:
1. Name / description of offending dog & owner / handler,
2. Photo of offending dog and/or owner / handler. Use your cell phone to take the photo.
So far this week in the dog park I have personally seen :
*A baby strapped to the front of her mom
*A 3 yr old girl
*2 little kids (around 5 yrs old) that were running up to dogs and then running away yelling "I'm scared"
*A couple enjoying 2 sandwiches from Subway while sitting on a bench (annoyed at the dogs coming over to them)
* An very large unneutered pit mix (not aggressive at all, but you never know when they are intact)
It's really frustrating because you want to point out the obvious to these people, but that would only start a fight. You want to tell them that the dogs coming in there are all dog friendly, but not necessarily kid friendly. People avoid confrontation like the plague, but there are certain cases like these where dog owners have every right to approach a parent and say <" Get your kid outta here!!" These pups run fast and play rough! They WILL knock you over if you aren't paying attention. Dogs eat hoagies! Dogs can be food aggressive! Especially when there are 10 dogs to 1 potential hoagie! I don't know if it's my general concern for human intelligence or my empathy for the dogs that are put in potential situations that would result in bites or euthanasia. If you bring a kid to a dog park and a dog bites your kid, you could try to have said dog euthanized for aggression (even though your kid wasn't supposed to be there in the first place!) This is especially scary for pet sitters like me because we don't know the dog as well as the owner. Maybe they are good with kids, but only in certain situations. I have walked out of this park in a huff and shaking my head in disbelief almost daily. It is a wonderful place for dogs to run and socialize and play. Please just follow the rules and let them!!
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Full Moon Antics
So 2 days ago there was a full moon. Yesterday was sheer madness and that is now explained as I found out about this full moon (or Strawberry Moon this month)
My day started out like any other. I left my house around 7:30 a.m. and started on my visits. I had to go all the way to Broad and Pine and then make it back to 4th and Queen by 9:30 (after 6 visits in between). I had time to stop for oatmeal at Whole Foods on the way back (yay!) and as I was walking while enjoying my oatmeal and berries, a bird shat on my head. I was all the way at 10th and Bainbridge. Sigh... Luckily my oatmeal was unharmed, but I then had to go home first to wipe off the bird poo. In turn, I ran late to my 9:30 dog. Then I bought a lottery ticket because bird poop on your head is supposed to be good luck. I lost.
For an entire hour, every man that I saw looked like the lovechild of Frank Zappa and Jesus.
Terry and I were stopped in the park by a woman and her chihuahua. She apologized for being bitchy about 2 weeks back. Random! There was an incident where WE were huffy, but it was not at her. It was at the dog off leash behind her that was coming for the dogs that we were walking. She thought it was directed at her and she yelled, "What the fuck?? I have MY dog under fucking control, you don't have to worry!" Well, she did - and we weren't. Finally the miscommunication was cleared up.... unexpectedly. She said that she just broke up with her boyfriend the day before and was in a bad mood - she's not usually like that.
I got into an argument with a local business owner in Bella Vista who lets his dogs just run all down 8th st willy nilly. We avoid him daily. Yesterday we literally saw the dogs out and went around the corner the long way to the park and the dogs came right down the ally 5 minutes later! Unattended! So I hand Terry the dogs and go after the guy. I found him on the next side street and said," Your dogs are on Catherine!" His reply? "Something spilled on my computer!! Who are you? I don;t know you! I've been here 50 years!" Finally I took this opportunity to try to talk some sense into him about leashing his dogs. I get the whole defensive story. "My dogs are fine! They never bit anyone! I've never had an issue! I have a hold on them! I'm in control! " Like trying to reason with a 5 year old boy, I tried to explain that I never accused his dogs of being mean. I was trying to tell him that I am concerned for HIS dogs because the dogs that WE walk can't always be trusted. I don't want a dog that I have out to bite his dogs because they came running up off leash. He just didn't get it. He insisted it was just the spill and that he had control of his dogs. Literally 10 minutes later I see the younger one running across the street chasing a bird. A worker across the street yells over to him to get the dog - said she could get hit by a car. He complies. I ask him why he can say something and get a fair response, but when I say the same thing I'm a bitch? His reply was, "Well, he cuts my hair." I give up!
My day started out like any other. I left my house around 7:30 a.m. and started on my visits. I had to go all the way to Broad and Pine and then make it back to 4th and Queen by 9:30 (after 6 visits in between). I had time to stop for oatmeal at Whole Foods on the way back (yay!) and as I was walking while enjoying my oatmeal and berries, a bird shat on my head. I was all the way at 10th and Bainbridge. Sigh... Luckily my oatmeal was unharmed, but I then had to go home first to wipe off the bird poo. In turn, I ran late to my 9:30 dog. Then I bought a lottery ticket because bird poop on your head is supposed to be good luck. I lost.
For an entire hour, every man that I saw looked like the lovechild of Frank Zappa and Jesus.
Terry and I were stopped in the park by a woman and her chihuahua. She apologized for being bitchy about 2 weeks back. Random! There was an incident where WE were huffy, but it was not at her. It was at the dog off leash behind her that was coming for the dogs that we were walking. She thought it was directed at her and she yelled, "What the fuck?? I have MY dog under fucking control, you don't have to worry!" Well, she did - and we weren't. Finally the miscommunication was cleared up.... unexpectedly. She said that she just broke up with her boyfriend the day before and was in a bad mood - she's not usually like that.
I got into an argument with a local business owner in Bella Vista who lets his dogs just run all down 8th st willy nilly. We avoid him daily. Yesterday we literally saw the dogs out and went around the corner the long way to the park and the dogs came right down the ally 5 minutes later! Unattended! So I hand Terry the dogs and go after the guy. I found him on the next side street and said," Your dogs are on Catherine!" His reply? "Something spilled on my computer!! Who are you? I don;t know you! I've been here 50 years!" Finally I took this opportunity to try to talk some sense into him about leashing his dogs. I get the whole defensive story. "My dogs are fine! They never bit anyone! I've never had an issue! I have a hold on them! I'm in control! " Like trying to reason with a 5 year old boy, I tried to explain that I never accused his dogs of being mean. I was trying to tell him that I am concerned for HIS dogs because the dogs that WE walk can't always be trusted. I don't want a dog that I have out to bite his dogs because they came running up off leash. He just didn't get it. He insisted it was just the spill and that he had control of his dogs. Literally 10 minutes later I see the younger one running across the street chasing a bird. A worker across the street yells over to him to get the dog - said she could get hit by a car. He complies. I ask him why he can say something and get a fair response, but when I say the same thing I'm a bitch? His reply was, "Well, he cuts my hair." I give up!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)