Nocturnal Link the Imperial Wizard
Yoeckydoe's Yes Its Me x Nosey Parker the Imperial Wizard

Tribute lived with her Co-Owner Brittany Linder of Ookaan Bull Terriers in Olympia WA USA

In the early days of March our Tribute went to live with a friend in the Seattle area.
I was in contact with her new owner almost daily and Tribute had a really great time.
In the weeks that followed she got to play with the already in the house living Dachshunds,
run around in the yard, the owners huge acreage with forest,
a creek and even a piece of beach.
Tribute had the time of her live, she always has enjoyed the wild outdoors and running
is her biggest joy in life next to eating and sleeping.
Her owner sent us some awesome pictures of Tribute, not many pictures but very nice ones when she did.
To be honest we could not have found Tribute a better home.

In the late Spring/early Summer month things changed for Tribute.
I got a phone call of the owner telling me in tears that Tribute had killed a 6 week old puppy unprovoked.
She had been playing with the pup a few days in a row but that time when a friend brought her pup over
for a play-date it went all terribly wrong.
Britt was leaving the room and Tribute following her, changed her mind,
turned around and grabbed the puppy, shook it a few times and the damage was done.
The Dachshund puppy died at the vets clinic, Animal Control was notified and Tribute was to be put to sleep.
We both cried on the phone for a long time, debating how this could happen, if it ever could happen again
and what to do next.
I advised her to get Tribute put to sleep before Animal Control got to her home and collect her, keep Tribute in
quarantine for a certain amount of time before they would "destroy" her.
My heart broke there and then, my tears would not stop streaming but I could not Animal Control
get its hands on her.

I have felt this heart broken a few times in my live and it was always when I lost one of my dear Bullies.
There is nothing like making the decision to put down your Bullie no matter what reason.
In the days after I made that very hard and painful decision the owner and me we stayed in touch,
talked a few times over the phone, where chatting constantly.
Going over and over what happened that day, where was the owner at that time precisely, the puppy owner,
was Tribute perhaps having a false pregnancy.

We came up with all sorts of excesses but I had to conclude all those where not reasons to kill a 6 week
old Dachshund puppy.
So a date was set by the Animal Control to "destroy" Tribute, Britt could attend, the vet off course and a
representative of the Animal Control as well.
That horrible day came, I hope none of you readers have to ever go thru a day like that ever.
However, Britt her mom fell very ill and was taken to the emergency room that morning and the Animal Control
officer agreed on postponing the sad event.
This was truly a blessing and a horror, that and a mom in hospital, what an awful time for Britt and her family.

When her personal live calmed down, we started talking about Tribute and what to expect,
when to expect it and how it all would come down.
Strangely, time passed with out a word of the AC and a re-schedule of the vet visit by Tribute.
Summer came, time went by and we did not hear anything again of the AC officer,
vacation period perhaps?
Britt was hoping to have fallen thru the "cracks" of the AC planning.
This, I knew would never happen, as soon as everyone was coming back to work
one or an other officer would find Tribute's file and start the procedure again.

We again talked about what to do and I had 2 suggestions: A send Tribute home ASAP or:
B have Tribute go "underground" where ever she might be safe and far away from all the trouble
and sad times she had to go thru.
Britt still did not believe Tribute had attacked the pup out of random aggression,
neither did I but she was understandably worried about the well being of her own Dachshunds.
Not long after Britt came up with the idea to have Tribute adopted by her boss a vet and clinic owner
who off course knew Tribute and thought she deserved a second chance.

From the first visit of Tribute when she just moved to Seattle he had adored and falling in love with this solid
coloured brindle girl full of fun and jokes.
We agreed for the vet to take care of Tribute and this way Britt could visit her any time she wanted.
And again we where so happy that Tribute found an other loving home, this time with a vet no less.
So not long after Tribute moved and Britt promised to take some pictures when she was going to visit soon.

Than again Britt got some nasty personal/domestic problems.
This was by the end of August and now living in a women shelter.
Staying in contact with someone living is a shelter is always hard but understandable.
It is for those women to keep them safe and protected from any possible harm.
When I about a week ago finally got in touch with her she explained all what had happen to her
and it was not good at all.

After listening to her stories, trying to cheer her up a bit, I asked about if she knew how Tribute was doing.
Everything spiraled down from there, she had to tell me there was a complaint filled against herself
and the Animal Control had showed up at her house.
They did remember Tribute and where asking about her.
She answered; "I do not know where Tribute is"
Her brother had spoken too fast because he said:
"Yes you do, she is living with the vet now"
Anyone with a heart now can imagine my world came
tumbling down, NOT MY TRIBUTE again!!

I asked for Britt to send me the vets personal email address so I could urge him to get her across
the US-Canadian border and put her on a plane home.
The ground got way to hot for Tribute and she had to leave, and leave now!
She agreed, promised to email the vet and me so we could take action.
At that same night I chat with Britt I got an request from an "insider" to set up a chat as well,
I agreed and added that person to my friend list.
The person introduced itself first and than asked me if I wanted Tribute back.....
Because Tribute had be living for months in the backyard on a chain,
outside 24/7 day and night.
I cut and paste the chat to Britt and she warned me not to trust her family, friends
or "insider" best was to block them because all they wanted was to drag her name
thru the mud.
Never ever would I have someone do that to a friend of mine so I blocked that person from my chat list.
Britt assured me Tribute was doing good and was safe and sound,
these people only were playing mind games with us.
I thanked her for being such a good friend and dog person.
Britt her Internet time was up, we said goodbye and I wished her all the best,
to have faith and we would talk again soon.

The next day I received and email from a lady who claimed her husband had found my Tribute
running on the Interstate:...

" On August 26th at 5 pm my husband was driving down the highway in WA.
He saw a bull terrier running on the highway among the cars.
He pulled over and called to her, and she came running and jumped into his lap
so he brought her to our house."

"She has such a sweet temperament and perfect
manners that I was sure someone was missing her.
I thought that maybe she had been missing for some time, as she is covered in fleas.
Her skin is in bad condition from the fleas, she has red sores
around her anus from them too.
Her teeth are filthy, her claws have not been trimmed or taken care of in a long time.
She also has open bleeding sores around her neck from a chain collar.
And she appears to possibly be pregnant.
She also has large black calluses on her right rear leg from laying in the same position too often,
and her hips seem to hurt her..."

"She told me that they keep Tribute on a choke chain on a tie out,
outside and that is what the scabs and sores are from.
She also said that Tribute has been getting off her choke chain and running loose lately,
and that she knew it was Tribute that I found because she had gotten out onto the road before."

"told me that they didn't even realize she was gone until the morning of the 27th,
which means she normally stays outside all night on a chain.
This week it has been in the 40s at night."

I was in shock, heart broken and angry beyond words.
Went for advice to two very good friends of ours and came up with a plan A, a plan B
and the RCMP/State Trooper card as plan C.
I got back in contact with the person whom asked me if I wanted Tribute back and asked her
a whole list of questions.
In a situation like this I didn't know who to trust, my good friend Britt or
the source from inside.
During the phone conversations that followed my jaw kept dropping.
And still I still can not comprehend tall that has happened to Tribute.
Nothing but really NOTHING was truth what Britt has told me.

Tribute Aug 2009 (look at the white ring around her neck,
a choke chain cut in to her skin and and damaged her neck)

Apparently the owner got sick of Tribute after 2 weeks, TWO WEEKS after she had arrived
and was tied up in the backyard ever since.
There is no house but a trailer, there were never walks with Tribute, nor hikes or camp trips.
No love, no attention, no cuddles and no sleeping on the couch.
There NEVER was a vet friend who took care of Tribute and there has never ever
been Animal Control involved with the 6 week old puppy incident.
Yes there was that puppy incident what appeared to have taken place as followed:
Yes Tribute played with a puppy that young,
but this time there was no one present, Britt had left the trailer
and left Tribute AND the pup behind.
When she got back the pup was wounded, no witnesses, nothing.
Yes the pup passed away, as far as I know, but many if not all of you with common sense would know not to
leave any size Bull Terrier or other breed alone with a 6 week old pup to play with out supervision.
I am very sorry that this had to happen to the little pup, again proof of neglect to say the least.
The AC story was set up just because she was tired of Tribute and wanted her to be put down,
out of her way.

Tribute Aug 2009 (Pictures the lady took the day when her husband found Tribute on the Interstate)
Her whole rear was red and irritated at the least, look better, her left front paw and even chin are reddish.

Neither was there a acreage, a forest nor a beach for Tribute to run, also all her paperwork was and is still missing
like vaccination papers, health cert and Rabies certificate.
The only thing what is true is the sadness in Tribute's eyes when I got a fresh picture of the helping person,
a dull and colourless coat and our broken heart.
After all this we agreed it was best for everyone including Tribute
to be on a plane home as fast as possible.

They took Tribute Monday in for a health certificate what she got, we booked a flight on the Tuesday
right after and Tribute was put on the plane that same Tuesday night.
My hubby and a good friend picked her up from the airport on Wednesday afternoon.
Tribute was tired,luke warm in her greeting my husband if not to say shy.
One can say everything of my Bullies but they are not shy, poor Tribute.
It is Friday now and Tribute is warming up to us, we gave her a sponge bath to clean her coat for a bit,
before she was sent she got a nail clip so her feet look a bit better,
her sores in her neck, the oozing wounds are healing.
She still has and will for always have a band of white hairs around her neck
where the choke chain cut in her skin, the scar tissue under her chin/high up her throat
where an other choke chain did its damage as well.
What has not been damaged is her spirit, her joy in playing with a tennis ball
and combat crawl across the lawn.
Yes, it will take awhile till she is our "old" Tribute again but there is no doubt in our mind
she will be just that again soon.

May this true as possible story be a warning for everyone who is reading this.
Never ever to trust this person, learn from our mistakes.
We just went thru an awful week with stress, tears and fears.
Tribute had that terror for almost 6 months, we are so very sorry she had to endure this.
.

Brittany Linder FaceBook status last week:
�The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated"
--Mahatma Gandi--

We are thanking everyone who was involved of bringing Tribute back to us.
The "Insider" and everyone around it who did their best to get Tribute fly ready ASAP,
Lady and husband who found Tribute on the Interstate for taking her in and patching her up the best you could.
Thank you for tracking me down and warning me what was going on in Tribute's life.
My dear friend in Ontario who stood by me and comforted me in the first hours
of Tribute's horrific news when it came in,
The vet who let Tribute pass her health test so she could obtain a health certificate to fly home,
Continental Airlines for taking Tribute on their flight at such short notice,
Our best friends who immediately offered to drive over 12 hrs down and back to pick Tribute up from the airport,
The Bull Terrier friends who translated Tribute's story in French and Spanish for whom ever need that to
send to their friends, so we reach more people
and everyone who was in to this action and kept it a secret as long as needed not to
jeopardize Tribute her rescue.
Thank you each and everyone of you who helped to get Tribute home.

W. 03 Ned. Lux. IntCh. Yoeckydoe's Yesitsme	Victoryman Tsalagi of Cherokees	Yoeckydoe's Rockmebaby
		Roeanka
	Yoekydoe's Voila	Ch. Graysham Dodger Von Bressendorf
		IntCh. Yoeckydoe's Tequila
Nosey Parker the Imperial Wizard	JW.02 Lux.Ch. Yoeckydoe's Abrakdabra	W.'00 CW '02 Lux. Ned. Belgium. IntCh. Special Edition of Serious Desire
		IntCh. Yoeckydoe's Tequila
	Arctic Freeze ot Sunnydogs	IntCh.Rudolph Red Nose off Daikini
		Her Empress Soza 1 of the Sunnydogs

Show Name:	Date:	Judge:	Placement	Points
Fredericton Kennel Club	July 31, 2006	David MacIntyre	Group 2	4pts
Halifax Kennel Club	February 10, 2007	Richard Lake	BOS	1pt