After watching a video on Twitter tonight, Jetsunma asked that we share some information with the sangha regarding laws called “Breed Specific Legislation” aka BSL. These are laws that ban particular dog breeds due to stereotypes about their aggression. Pit bulls are typically singled out in BSL, but the ASPCA explains:

“It is worth noting that in some areas, regulated breeds include not just American Pit Bull terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, English Bull Terriers and Rottweilers, but also a variety of other dogs, including American Bulldogs, Mastiffs, Dalmatians, Chow Chows, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, or any mix of these breeds—and dogs who simply resemble these breeds.”

If a “banned” dog winds up in a shelter in these areas for any reason, they are automatically euthanized, even if the dog is perfectly behaved and has no history of aggression. The goal of BSL is to eliminate the breed altogether.

BSL is occurring nationwide at state and local levels. A small number of states have restricted local municipalities from passing BSL but several of those laws are being challenged. This website indicates the state-by-state BSL laws and has more information about the laws.

Please take the time to read about BSL and watch this video. If you find online petitions, please share them via FaceBook and Twitter.

We cannot be silent or remain uninformed about BSL. The lives of these dogs depend on us taking action whenever possible.

Entering the Parrot Path

Kunzang Palyul Choling is also home of the Garuda Aviary, a sanctuary for abused and abandoned parrots.  This is a very special place with a caretaker that truly lives his Buddhist vows to care for sentient beings.  This is the first in a series of posts about Rigzin, known fondly as the Parrot Man.  

Christopher “Rigdzin” Zeoli was first introduced to the wonderful and sometimes wacky world of exotic birds when his mother, Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo, founder of a Tibetan Buddhist Temple, got a Moluccan Cockatoo parrot named Tashi. Christopher was about 20 years old at the time and did not realize that he had just entered the Parrot Path.

Poor Tashi Bird had a problem ─ a big problem ─ she pulled out her own feathers; something parrots do when under stress. Tashi didn’t pull out just any feathers, either. She was pulling out what is called “blood feathers.” Yikes! Blood feathers are shafts full of blood, and when they are broken, they can bleed profusely and endanger the bird. In order to help Tashi, Jetsunma would restrain the bird while Christopher, using a pair of needle nose pliers, would pull the rest of the feather shaft out so that the bleeding would stop.

Christopher recalls that stressful initiation into the Parrot Path: “Now Moluccan Cockatoos are not small, they can exert enough power with their beaks to really mangle your finger. Tashi was screaming and screaming and shrieking at the top of her lungs. As I was helping Jetsunma with this every few days, I was thinking, “Boy, parrots are not for me. I’m just not into this whole parrot thing.” And who could blame him?

To find out more about parrots or to make a donation, please visit the Garuda Aviary website. 

The story continues tomorrow….