A Troy story

Troy Westwood's notoriety north of the line rivals Vick's prominence stateside.


Anybody even vaguely acquainted with me knows that I am no Sporty Spice. I was the kid hiding out in the bathroom stall at school during gym class. I’d lock the door and stand on the toilet seat to make my feet invisible to hall monitors searching for stragglers.

So when Michael Vick was given the go-ahead to play in the NFL, I was astonished that his reputation as a sadistic dog torturer hadn’t tanked his career. And when the Philadelphia Eagles signed the quarterback for a cool $7 million two-year contract, my amazement grew.

As an outsider looking in, I’ve noticed that sports stars are portrayed as being more than athletically gifted. Much emphasis is also placed on them being stellar community leaders involved in charities and other high-minded pursuits.

In my struggle to understand the Michael Vick issue from all angles, I called up an old friend—who’s also my high school sweetheart, by the way—because I knew he would throw fresh light on the controversy. He’s articulate and outspoken, and controversial at times in his own way.

Just like Vick, Troy Westwood is a #7, but he played in the CFL. The 17-year veteran kicker for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers is the longest-serving player, and holds more than 30 team records. He’s the fourth-best scorer in CFL history. The 290 games he’s played ranks seventh in league history. His retirement last year has him most certainly bound for the Hall of Fame.

These days, he's a morning co-host on QX104 FM radio in Winnipeg, and a case manager for Family Connections, an inner-city organization that reunites children with their parents.

Troy had watched Vick’s interview on 60 Minutes last Sunday, and he didn’t take his comments at face value.

“Any time you have to read from a written statement, I’d question how from the heart it is,” Troy said, although he added that he’s reluctant to judge Vick’s sincerity from afar.

Troy said the 18 months Vick served of his 23-month sentence was too short, in his opinion. But he also believes in second chances.

“If someone comes out of incarceration, man or woman, they should be allowed to seek employment. That’s his profession. Someone’s got to be willing to offer you employment.”

Troy explained that Vick’s signing wasn’t surprising. And that—in the face of a sporting culture focused on winning—animal lovers might view it as a victory that so many teams refused to sign a player with such promise.

“All that matters is winning. That’s the culture of professional sport. Winning is it.”

Because managers’ heads land on the chopping block if a team doesn’t nab the wins, that means anything goes, Troy said. “There are rapists and murderers in the NFL. Any means justifies the end in professional sports.”

Troy wasn’t surprised to hear about Vick’s dog fighting involvement, because he’s heard locker room chatter about the blood sport before.

“For the past 15 years, I’ve heard guys from the southern states talking about it. It’s cultural,” Troy said.

I asked him: Is it even possible for a man who spent five years inflicting torture and suffering upon dozens of innocent animals to have the ability to change after a short stint in jail?

“The answer to that question only Michael Vick knows,” Troy said.

Whether Michael Vick plays or doesn’t play, repents or doesn’t repent, I know this much is true—his arrest has been a godsend for bringing dog fighting and its inherent cruelty into the public spotlight.

And while sports fans will be watching Vick's performance when he's on the field, animal rescuers around the nation will be watching him, too—for how he plays outside the stadium.


Photo courtesy of the Winnipeg Free Press.


Troy and I were on our way to his uncle's wedding when this shot was snapped. I was 16. Yes, it's true it took some guts for me to post this. I'm cringing at my '80s big hair and the shoulder pads. There are some trends that should never make a comeback.

Mac fights to keep Harb Seal Bill from being iced

Mingling after his speech in Vancouver, Mac Harb stops to talk to Jason Windtalker, an aboriginal who is appalled by the reckless slaughter of innocent marine mammals.

If they are to survive public life, career politicians must grow a hard shell.

But even 25 years in politics didn't prepare Senator Mac Harb for the backlash he endured from his peers when he introduced a private members' bill on March 3. It proposed to end the massive annual slaughter of baby seals on Atlantic Canada's ice floes.

"I've never been abused so much in my life as when I introduced this bill," said Harb, who spoke to citizens this past Sunday at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

One senator -- former Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell -- has even taken to giving Harb a hand signal when they cross paths on Parliament Hill.

And it isn't exactly a thumbs-up.

Campbell twirls his finger around in a circle near his ear, inferring that Harb is crazy.

In an unprecedented show of disrespect, not one of Canada's 105 senators would second the Harb Seal Bill. A second motion is all that's required to allow Harb to speak about his bill in Parliament.

"If I couldn't find one [senator] with the courage to do that, then I had to take it back to the public," he said.

Harb is the first Canadian politician in history to officially propose an end to the annual seal slaughter. He first became interested in the issue from his experience traveling on trade delegations. He faced people around the world who viewed the killing of baby harp seals with repulsion and horror. And he watched millions being spent by the Canadian government to promote and support a dying industry in the face of worldwide opposition.

"We still call it a hunt," Harb said. "Frankly it's not a hunt at all. They can't walk, can't swim, can't fly. These are babies. Give them a fair shake. This is not a hunt. It's a slaughter."

Despite the ridicule he faces from fellow politicians, Harb isn't deterred from his mission. He's pressing ahead with gusto.

"The government is on the wrong side," Harb said. "They have developed a mental block on the issue. They just don't want to hear about it."

Harb says fear of losing Atlantic Canada's votes -- largely a region galvanized by the fishing industry -- has caused politicians to shy away from ending the slaughter once and for all. That logic doesn't make sense when it's settled against public opinion. While Harb's fellow politicians aren't giving him props, the public certainly is. Forget about being called crazy. "Hero" is the word being bandied about by animal lovers. Not a word typically used to describe politicians.

In all, a whopping 518,000 Canadians have called, written, or emailed Harb's office since he launched his campaign. They've sent letters of support, petitions, and words of encouragement. That's an impressive number in a country with a population of 30 million.

Harb is bringing the letters by the wheelbarrow load to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office.

"We are going to see the beginning of the end of the commercial seal hunt," he declared.

The government computer system has been overwhelmed by the response from the public. Half of the Senate computers -- about fifty of them -- crashed as emails flooded in supporting the Harb Seal Bill. And the servers that handle internet traffic for the Senate and the House of Commons have crashed twice. Kids as young as four years old have written to Harb begging him to keep fighting for the seals.

"When the Government of Canada's computer system can't take the emails from the people, Parliament has to take note of that," Harb said.

As a Canadian, I am stunned by how out of step politicians are with the will of the people on this issue. Polls estimate that 80 percent of Canadians oppose the seal hunt. The exercise in government-subsidized cruelty churns the stomachs of most of us. And the barbaric annual ritual bloodies our public image worldwide.

Harb doesn't call himself an animal activist. He's not even a vegetarian. But he still "cannot understand for the life of me what the rationale is."

"How silly we are to allow this to continue. A loving, kind nation, and now we're killing baby seals," Harb told listeners, who at times gasped in shock as gruesome footage of the carnage on ice was screened. "I have letters from tourists who don't want to come here because all they think about is the seal hunt. It doesn't mesh well with the Canadian image."

The cruelty footage that played out on screen at Harb's event -- which was sponsored by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) -- left me breathless. I've viewed the worst: puppy mills, torture, dog fighting. Still, I've never seen cruelty that rivaled this.

Despite his official stripes, Harb hasn't been given any professional courtesy. When he traveled to Eastern Canada this year, the government wouldn't even direct him to the site where the bloodbath on ice was occurring, despite its claims that peaceful observers are welcome. Yet elite government ice-breakers costing taxpayers $50,000 per day escort the seal killers to the places where the pups are innocently learning to swim and feed themselves.

Harb had to spend three and a half hours flying around in a helicopter with IFAW looking for the slaughter site before he found it.

"The government could have told me as a senator, as a courtesy," Harb said. "There are a lot more horrifying photos and videos than what you just saw. These images are the tip of the iceberg."

DO YOU WANT TO HELP SAVE BABY SEALS?

Click on these links to get involved.

International Fund for Animal Welfare

www.stopthesealhunt.ca

www.protectseals.org

Genesis Awards harness star power to save animals

Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres strut their stuff on the red carpet. Photo courtesy of HSUS.

When you make a career in show business, creating a fantasy becomes your reality.

But this past Saturday, it wasn't make-believe that took center stage at the 23rd annual Genesis Awards in Beverly Hills. Animal cruelty and neglect grabbed the spotlight when celebrities, directors, writers and producers were honored by the Humane Society of United States.

America's largest animal welfare organization handed out 20 awards for films, television programs and news stories that raised public awareness of animal issues. The biggest honor of the night went to Ellen DeGeneres and her partner Portia de Rossi, who accepted the Wyler Award together for spreading the word on the inhumane treatment of factory farm animals. DeGeneres spoke to viewers of her talk show about Proposition 2, which addresses the issue in California.

"This stuff haunts me now," DeGeneres said.

As the star-studded crowd began to arrive at the Beverly Hilton hotel, uninvited bystanders crowded against the velvet ropes with cameras in hand, hoping to get a glimpse of the noteworthy parading past on the red carpet. The eclectic crowd featured big-name stars mingling with hard-core animal activists.

But the most popular celebrity was one who strolled in on four legs, not two. It was Clyde, the dog who starred in the hit film Marley and Me with Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. He stood to the side of the red carpet and enthusiastically greeted everyone who walked by, even giving my face a friendly lick when I kneeled down to pet him. It was better than an autograph.

This was my second year attending the event that's held in the same massive ballroom used to host the Golden Globes. Guests nibbled on a delectable vegan meal of artichoke salad, tasty soy protein with black rice, and a rich chocolate mousse dessert.

"I called myself an animal lover, and I ate them," DeGeneres told the crowd. "It really is so much easier to say, ‘I can't think about it - I don't want to know about it - it's horrible' - and when we finally took the time to force ourselves to look at the reality of the lives of these poor animals, you can't ignore it. You can't say, ‘Yeah, but I want a cheeseburger so badly. I don't want to look at that."

The footage that rolled as the nominees were announced was gut-wrenching to watch. At every table, tears flowed down perfectly coiffed cheeks. Some guests had to step out when the images got to be too much.

The clips spared no tender hearts. A has-been racehorse was killed at a slaughterhouse. The tape cut to another that lay dying in the mud. Abused elephants were beaten and chained until they performed tricks for a circus crowd. A whale was massacred in the ocean, its blood staining the seawater bright red. Factory farmed pigs and chickens were miserably crowded into tiny cages, unable to enjoy basic behaviors like standing up or spreading their wings.

DeGeneres wasn't the only talk show queen to win a prize for speaking out against the atrocities. The Oprah Winfrey Show also garnered an award, picking up the outstanding talk show accolade for reports on factory farming, puppy mills and dog fighting. Another big win was for Walt Disney Pictures' Bolt, in the feature film category. The Academy-Award nominated movie reveals the sad truth about the fate of abandoned cats and dogs. For the fifth time, Fox picked up the Sid Caesar comedy award for The Simpsons, which recognized them for a show that painted a bleak perspective on the horrors of factory farming. ABC TV's Grey's Anatomy won best drama for an episode that discussed the ethics of using live animals in medical research.

News outlets were also honored. ABC News took home the TV newsmagazine national prize for 20/20. World News With Charles Gibson won for a national news feature. HBO's Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel received the national newsmagazine cable award.

Among the print journalism winners were USA Today for a series of newspaper articles, and the magazines Sports Illustrated and Newsweek were also recognized.

Animal activists are accustomed to being abused and misunderstood for their viewpoints. But it was evident that among this crowd, being kind to animals was ultra-cool. Celebrity chic, in fact. Ellen herself embraced the title.

"The more labels I add to myself, the more I risk alienating people, but I'm openly gay, and that's worked out okay...so now I'm openly vegan, and I will do everything I can to help."

Here's me with Clyde, the lovably rambunctious canine celebrity from Marley and Me.

Jorja Fox of CSI fame has been voted sexiest vegetarian by PETA. She plays forensic scientist Sarah Sidle on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Animal lover Marg Helgenberger is also of CSI fame, and plays Catherine Willows.

Just a few of Jennifer Coolidge's best-known parts include roles in Legally Blonde, American Pie, Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman. She's lent her star power to organizations such as Louisiana SPCA, PETA and Farm Sanctuary.

Oscar-winning actor James Cromwell became a vegetarian in 1974 after visiting a Texas stockyard and witnessing the "smell, terror and anxiety."

Professional football player Jarrod Cooper volunteers with abused dogs at a San Francisco animal shelter.

Michael Vartan of Never Been Kissed and One Hour Photo is also known for his role as Michael Vaughn on the American television action drama Alias. He's also an avid animal lover.

Emmy-nominated Wendie Malick of TV comedy Just Shoot Me plays Nina Van Horn. She's a vegetarian and committed to animal welfare causes.

PETA member Emily Deschanel plays Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan in the crime drama Bones. She's a vegan and an animal rights advocate.

Ellen and Portia accept the Wyler award.

Above photos courtesy of Long Photography and HSUS

More to come…

The 2009 Genesis Awards ceremony was dedicated to ending the senseless slaughter of baby harp seals in Canada. I spoke with renowned British-born fashion photographer Nigel Barker of the reality TV show America's Next Top Model about his work out on the ice documenting the bloodshed. That story’s coming up, so stay tuned.

Photography courtesy of Nigel Barker.

The Littlest Hobo hits the road again

Hobo director Allan Eastman is even more dedicated to travelling than the famous TV dog. Submitted photo.

Maybe tomorrow, he'll want to settle down
Until tomorrow, he'll just keep moving on...
-- lyrics from The Littlest Hobo theme song

Ask any Canadian older than 30 about The Littlest Hobo television series and you will get an instant reaction. Memories will flow for the wonder dog who played the starring role. His intelligence and bravery will be recalled with wonder and affection.

The wildly popular family show -- one of the first to cast an animal in its lead part -- featured a German shepherd character who travelled from place to place helping people in trouble. He was the orphan version of Lassie.
For more than a decade, I've had the lyrics from the theme song Maybe Tomorrow pinned to my corkboard. Littlest Hobo validates the animal heroics I've witnessed. You need only mention that title to a group of animal rescuers and you'll get an impromptu, rousing rendition of the song made famous by the show.
So you can imagine my thrill at meeting the man who directed Hobo's action on set. From 1979 to 1983, Allan Eastman directed 44 episodes in the series. The former Winnipegger's laudable directing career includes gigs on shows like Star Trek: Voyager, Deep Space 9, and Outer Limits. He's worked with iconic talents such as Christopher Plummer, Hugh Grant and Kiefer Sutherland.

Over dinner in Vancouver last week, he told me the behind-the-scenes story of The Littlest Hobo's antics. It turns out that the carousing production crew wasn't what you would expect for a show aimed at families with small children.

"We were young up-and-comers. Never has wholesome family entertainment been done by such a group of degenerates," Eastman joked. "It was sex, dogs and rock and roll."

But that wasn't the only reason I was fascinated.

For the director, life has imitated art. Eastman has turned into something of a Littlest Hobo himself. The 60-year-old recently realized his lifelong dream to travel full time. He's left the comfort of his villa in Croatia and his home in Toronto to visit 110 countries, looping around the world three times. His odyssey spawned a book called Tickets, Money, Passport...Around the World and Then Some. It documents what happens when someone decides to trade the structure of home for a life on the road, devoting years towards adventure and meeting new people.

Just like Hobo did.

Hobo was always a lone wolf. At the end of each episode, the people he'd helped tried to adopt him, but Hobo had his own plans. He'd take to the open road, nosing out his next adventure.

In reality, there were several Hobos who played the part billed as "London" in the star credits. Dogs came and went on the set according to age and ability. A pack of five dogs nearly identical in appearance shared the spotlight. But like a mother and her twins, the cast and crew could easily discern which dog was who, Eastman said.
There was one London, but there was also Toro and Lance, and more than one Bo and Hobo. They had their own trailer, and were kept by Chuck Eisenmann, who was their breeder, guardian and trainer.

"There would always be a star dog who would get most of the scenes," Eastman said. "He would be experienced, about eight years old. There was an older patriarch who kept the others in line. And the other three young dogs would do all the running and jumping, all the fast-action shots."

Eisenmann taught the dogs to understand English at the level of an eight-year-old child. "It was amazing to watch. You kind of wish you could give commands to [human] actors the same way we did with the dogs."
Hobo was a magical creature to viewers who tuned in regularly to see what destination and dilemma awaited the dog next -- the circus, the docks, the air force. Parents enjoyed the storylines. And kids had mad love for the dogs.

"We'd have a gallery of the public watching us shoot, and the kids just went bananas. You didn't even really have to do anything for the kids, because they just went nuts for the dogs."

Tapings were mostly done in rural areas surrounding Toronto, but the sheer variety of the storylines fostered a diverse learning ground that created career magic, too. "Every week, we went into a whole new situation. I learned such a huge bag of tricks on that show.
"It was one of the great learning experiences of my career."
For the moment, Eastman has traded his director's bag of tricks for his travel bags.

Maybe tomorrow, he'll want to settle down.

Until tomorrow, he'll just keep moving on.

Hollywood depicts ACOs as the bad guys again

Whatcom Humane Society ACO Paul Evans enjoys a breath of fresh air with a shelter dog he adores.

A fast-moving film plot needs a villain. And when the story revolves around animals, there's an easy target.

Animal control officers are consistently cast to play that part.

ACOs are convenient scapegoats. It's true that every profession faces the critical eye of art sometimes. But has there ever been a positive portrayal of the work done by ACOs, who are on the front lines saving animals from heartbreaking circumstances?

Lady and the Tramp. Shaggy D.A. And now the latest film sensation, Hotel for Dogs. In each, ACOs are portrayed as "blundering villains who are awkwardly incompetent and enthusiastically sadistic in their treatment of canines," says Mark Kumpf, president of the National Animal Control Officers Association based in Kansas.

I've ridden along with ACOs many times in a multitude of communities. Watching them at work, I saw that they aren't just "dog catchers" -- they are first responders just like police, fire and ambulance workers. In California, for example, ACOs are required by law to report cases of child abuse when they encounter them. Abused animals often indicate that children in the home might be in trouble, too.

Penny Cistaro is now the executive director of Whatcom Humane Society in northern Washington State. But when she started out in animal sheltering 30 years ago, her career began as an ACO.

What she saw out there still haunts her.

And while all animal rescuers are exposed to stomach-turning images of cruelty and neglect, ACOs see much more than most because they arrive on the scene first.

This past summer, I interviewed an ACO who had just attended the scene of a head-on collision. One of the drivers, a woman on her way out to celebrate her 30th birthday, had her two dogs in the car with her. An ambulance took the woman to hospital. And ACOs were tasked with saving her dogs. One of the dogs died in his rescuer's arms on the way to the shelter.

As a society, we are all responsible for the epic pet overpopulation crisis. Villianizing the people who have dedicated their careers to being part of the solution doesn't make sense.

Yes, it's just a movie. But it's no fun being constantly belittled on the big screen for doing difficult and heroic work that you pour your heart and soul into. No wonder the burnout rate is outrageously high. Leaving the job before the first year is up isn't uncommon.

Isn't it time we give ACOs the respect they deserve?

Now that would be a happy Hollywood ending.

Kathryn Destreza, Louisiana SPCA's director of humane law enforcement, romps in the shelter yard with a rambunctious pit bull.

Animal control officers fight back in this editorial

By Mark Kumpf

The quintessential negative depiction of the "dog catcher" in American movies and television has once again been cast in the film Hotel for Dogs. Following the cinematic tradition of Shaggy D.A. and Lady and the Tramp, animal control officers are portrayed as film antagonists: blundering villains who are awkwardly incompetent and enthusiastically sadistic in their treatment of canines.

While those associated with the film should be lauded for their off-screen efforts to promote proper dog care, nutrition, exercise and the adoption of homeless animals, the unfortunate typecasting of animal control officers in film continues to be an affront to the thousands of professionals across the country dedicated to promoting ethical and responsible animal care and ownership.

The National Animal Control Association (NACA) was established in 1978 as an independent, nonprofit organization fostering the highest standards of professionalism in the practice of animal control. As the primary professional association for animal control practitioners, NACA members participate in extensive instructional programs with the goal of improving their knowledge and skills in order to protect the animals and the communities
they serve.

Each day, our membership of 3,400 animal control officers, agencies and affiliated state members are at work in urban and rural communities across the country. These hardworking professionals are responsible for transporting a significant percentage of the estimated six to eight million cats and dogs entering shelters every year. Often they also care for and treat them.

Between 600,000 and 750,000 of these animals (nearly 30% of dogs) are reunited with their families annually, and approximately half are adopted from the more than 5,000 shelters operating across the country. And that is thanks partly to animal control officers. They are also called upon to safely and compassionately euthanize tens of thousands of dogs, cats and other animals too injured, sick or aggressive to be adopted. Or in the most unfortunate circumstances, such as space and budgetary constraints.

Animal control officers investigate thousands of animal cruelty cases and are often called upon to testify in court. They perform their duties and protect the public. Sometimes that comes at great personal risk, whether attempting to free a terrified trapped pet, facing a wild, diseased animal or rescuing animals from abusive and neglectful environments. Officers have been threatened, injured and even killed in the line of duty, shuttering puppy mills, investigating cases of animal cruelty, and prosecuting organizers of dog fighting and blood sports.

The cinematic adaptation of Lois Duncan's 1971 book Hotel for Dogs is certainly entertaining to young audiences. What dog lover wouldn't love to imagine himself as the keeper of an inn for canines, a "Dalmatian plantation", or a similar facility based on breed of preference? However, NACA encourages adults to explain to young moviegoers that the film's "dog catchers" are a slanderous portrayal of the highly trained, compassionate and professional animal control officers patrolling our streets to rescue animals in need.


Mark Kumpf
President
National Animal Control Officers Association
http://www.nacanet.org

Mark Kumpf is also the Director of Montgomery County, Ohio's Animal Resource Center.