Snowy's First Nashville CD Release "Rescue Dog Blues"

People in dog parks all over Nashville are saying:

“Rescue Dog Blues is destined to be an Americana classic. Five tail wagging songs with a touch of twang that will have you and your pooch howling along. Inspired by a real life rehabilitated ex-fighting American Pit Bull, Snow. Kids will love it too!”

This CD includes the award winning song “Love is an Ability” that was a finalist in the jingle contest at TEDx Nashville!

Nashville Lifestyles 2011 Cover Dog Search at Cheekwood

Will she or won’t she be the next Nashville Lifestyles doggie Poopermodel?  Snowy completed the interview and photo shoot phases of the competition as her skin turned a pretty shade of pale pink in the Tennessee sunshine.  She got to visit with her trainer and friend Jon Stolzer and she sure was a superstar.  Many thanks to Cheekwood and Nashville Lifestyles for the great day!

Snowy's Screen Test

In other news this week Snowy makes the Weekly Smilers page for the week of March 21 on The Bark’s website.  The Bark is the premier magazine for dogs with literary owners.

Agent Orange and Snowy, September 16, 2010

We miss you already you old scoundrel.  Long may you run.

Just prior to beginning her treatment Snowy made an emergency cup cake delivery in the convertible to some less fortunate homeless Pitties

Sometimes bad things happen to really good dogs. Snowy is living proof. Despite all she’s been through we have another hurdle ahead of us that will no doubt test both of us but that I hope will also make us stronger and smarter.  Despite being on a Heart Worm preventative Snowy has contracted Heart Worm.  We don’t understand why yet but Julie is about as dogged as Snowy and she plans on getting to the bottom of this scientific mystery and then publishing the results.

Today is Day One of a two month treatment. Snowy got a shot containing arsenic in the back this morning. She is scared and in pain. She even crawled into the shower with Julie this morning and sat under the water just to be close to her as if that provided some relief from her pain.  One thing we already know – Pit Bull courage is legendary.   This too shall pass and there is no doubt Snowy will handle this next challenge with her trademark sense of humor, grace and courage.  We both know that hidden inside Crises lay Opportunities and we’re both sniffing around to see what treasures we can discover…..

Snowy is very proud of her contribution to the interview!

Dr. Laurel Neme interviewed Julie today for her radio program The Wild Life. About 3-4 minutes into the interview Snowy makes a very important contribution so it was only right to share the link here!  You can listen to Julie [and Snowy!] using the following audio link:

The WildLife: Wildlife Friendly Certification, Julie Stein & Elephant Seal Update, C. Heinrichs

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Snow and Agent Orange share the Spotlight

On February 9 2009, almost exactly a year ago, Snowy arrived at Sound Emporium, Nashville, Tennessee and two heretofore separate life journey’s were merged.  Looking back a year later almost everything about life is different…

In less than a year Snowy  transformed herself from a street fighting Memphis ghetto dog to an AKC Canine Good Citizen – earning her Certificate in Nashville under the supervision of Dog Trainer to the Stars, Jon Stolzer, in December.  As for Julie, well she learned to bloom where she was planted – maybe that’s kind of like a form of  Good Citizenship for girls?  We’re still working that out….

But along with the good news life has thrown us some curve balls as well just to keep us on our toes. We found out that Snowy, despite being on heart worm medicine for the past year, has tested positive for heart worms.  Because of this she’ll have to undergo a long and dangerous treatment for heart worms which entails her being almost totally confined for two months.  She’s not going to like this crimp in her style one little bit…but hopefully this too will pass.

The biggest life lesson Julie has learned so far in the past year together is this…there is one thing Snowy knows deep in her DNA and that is that some things actually are worth fighting for – your life, your freedom, your home, and the things and people that you love are among those…Happy Valentine’s Day 2010 from us to you and may we all find love that’s worth fighting for this year…

Snow's Tummy was Tickled Pink by the Titans Cheerleaders

The Farm @ Natchez Trace kindly asked Snow to ride on their float in the Leipers Fork Christmas Parade. She was Queen of the Pit Bulls which is kind of like Queen of the Mardi Gras but much better.  Naomi Judd announced the floats as they rode by.  She asked if doggies at The Farm could get bikini waxes too? We’re checking on that…

Snowy got to throw frisbees and candy to the cheering crowd which lined Main Street in the Fork.  Big fun was had by all of the horses, and burros, and goaties, and heifers, and kids, and dogs involved!

pre parade preparations and posing

Frisbee Catching Fans along the Parade Route

Lori, Julie and Snow discussing strategy outside My Sister's Closet

Lori and Mawgie asked Snowy if she could squeeze in a guest appearance cameo for Channel 2 Nashville’s Entertainment reporter this week. She checked her Iphone, grabbed her corduroy jacket, and said she could make it work. The appearance was to promote a new all celebrity consignment store in Nashville which will be located just off Music Row. Lori and Mawgie see it as a destination for tourists coming to Nashville who want to own a piece of a star to support animal rescue and the creation of a new farm Sanctuary like the Best Friends Sanctuary in Utah. We are so excited and can’t wait to help more! Please get in touch if you have clothes to donate to support the cause!  Here is Estrella’s Mission Statement:

Estrella means star in Spanish.  At Estrella our concept is to sell previously owned celebrity clothing to help fund animal rescue and the funding of a farm Sanctuary here in Nashville. At this Sanctuary all of the formerly homeless or abused animals will be treated like stars too. Please support Estrella so that we can help the animals, whether you consign for a cause or buy a piece of a star for yourself!

Donna says Snow is a Deep Thinker and I agree - Is Snowy contemplating the Infinite & Mysterious Ocean or Planning her Next Game of Beach Blanket Bingo?

Baylee Garfield invited Snow to her beautiful home in Hilton Head, SC for an Indian Summer Surfin Safari. It was a girls farewell to summer weekend for both Pit Girls and real girls from Hotlanta and Nash Vegas so we packed our respective bikinis and hit the road.  Being as it was Snow’s first visit to the beach [as far as anyone knows] we were curious to see how she would respond to the Ocean. True to form, she sussed up the situation for a nano second and then bravely swam straight into the breaking waves.  Snowy has taught Julie a lot this year about taking those waves head on, diving through, and surfacing on the other side and into turquoise water.

We got in some beautiful sun rise beach walks where the sky turned peach and lavender before our eyes, ate a lot of yummy delicious food, and of course did what girls do when left to their own devices and a bottle of wine.  Just when we thought the story telling was getting really juicy  (i.e. impromptu dates in the Costa Rican jungle that involve pink stilettos) we looked over @ the couch – I guess one woman’s scintillation is another’s sleep aid .  Two Pits in a pod…

When you get to believing your own press have a look see @ your dog for a reality check

Dr. Bernard Unti gathering his courage to be interviewed by Snow the Pit Bull

Snow: Dr. Unti…

Bernie: Snow please call me Bernie.

Snow: Thanks Bernie, as you know many in the Pit Rescue and Advocacy world are skeptical about The HSUS working with Michael Vick. Can you tell us a little about your rationale for this program?

Bernie:  I’d be happy to, Snowy.  If it was just a case of an individual doing something isolated, committing terrible acts of cruelty and violence on his own, it might be right to say “Let’s punish him forever, let’s close out any prospect for him to make a return to football and make a living. He should suffer every possible social penalty in addition to the legal punishment.”

But as you well know Snow, animal fighting is an industry, a criminal network, and an activity pursued by tens of thousands of people across the country.  And there’s a big upsurge of dogfighting in our urban communities.  If we are to defeat it, to eliminate it, we must be open to mobilizing even the convicted offenders who are ready to speak out against it . Vick is in a distinctive position as the most publicly known person in modern history to be convicted for such heinous acts. Already he’s paid a heavy price for his criminal conduct. And he’s willing to make amends by speaking out. If he prevents some young people from getting into dog fighting that’s a 100% gain for Pit Bulls.

Snow:  OK Bernie – what do you say to Pit Bulls and their humans who think Vick wasn’t punished enough and that he should never be forgiven?

Bernie:  Well, it’s true that for all who love Pits, there is not enough social value assigned to non-human animals who are hurt or killed in these circumstances. The laws don’t impose a harsh enough penalty in the eyes of those folks. But the penalty for involvement in dog fighting is severe relative to many other acts of cruelty and Michael Vick has served the time meted out by the court. I don’t think it’s necessary to forgive him or to forget what he did, just to be open to what he can now do to make amends .

Snow: Yes Bernie – I can appreciate making an opportunity out of tragedy – it’s been the story of my life actually – but is Vick sincere?

Bernie: Well Snow he’s spoken to several audiences already, at a school and at our End Dog Fighting intervention programs in Atlanta and Chicago.   I think time will show that he’s truly sorry for what he did to the individual animals, for all he did to harm Pit Bulls in general, and that he wants to play a part in stopping the violence.

Snow:  Yes but what will you and HSUS do to make sure Vick delivers on his promise of speaking out against these atrocities?

Bernie:  There’s a lot of pressure on him to do so. The NFL made his reinstatement conditional on a program of speaking out. The Eagles ownership has said there will be no on field time if there’s no action off the field. The HSUS is going to assist with the identification of suitable speaking opportunities for him.

Look, we were his toughest critics. We helped to secure the laws under which he was prosecuted. We argued to get him dropped by his team, the NFL, and his sponsors. And now we’re arguing that he has something more to give to this situation…that he can be an instrument of good, and do something to make it right to and for Pit Bulls.  The burden’s on him, and if he falls short, we’ll be out there with everyone else pointing that out.  Based on what I’ve observed I think he’s evolving as a person, and I believe he will deliver.

Snow:  Bernie I’m happy to know someone as compassionate and smart as you are is involved with the Michael Vick situation. I hope he does continue to grow as a human (and humane) being who comes to terms with the terrible things he did, feels sorry about the harm and the deaths he’s caused, and dedicates himself to ending dogfighting altogether.  And thank you for having the courage to be interviewed by a Pit Bull! Did we make HSUS history today?

Final thoughts from Snow:  I’m trying to keep an open mind about this.  If you’re a Pit, you’ve probably had your share of troubles and disappointments with the human race.   But in the end, we are in it together, Pits and human beings, and we have to have some faith in one another, to turn tragedy into opportunity and then to bloom where you are planted. That’s what I’ve been trying to do each and every day since Donna saved my life and Julie took me home sweet home…If an ex fighter from the Memphis Ghetto like me can become a Pitty Ambassadress in Nashville than maybe Michael Vick can help make the world a better place too…

If any readers of my Blog would like to learn more about HSUS’s anti- dogfighting work please visit http://www.hsus.org/acf/.

Snowy takes a break - being a Stylist is grueling work

Julie got help from a Hip Hop video crew & Snowy to shoot a casting call audition for a host position for a new Animal Planet series. Snowy was the stylist for the shoot but quickly became exasperated by having to reapply Julie’s mascara and blow dry her hair under the hot glare of the bright lights.  By the time we took this photo she had thrown in the towel and was sulking on the couch, thinking about seeing her own name up in lights and I don’t blame her one bit. She did get a starring role in the audition video and her makeup was flawless!  Wish us luck and many thanks to Page, Rodes, Aja and Christina and the Beat Kangz for helping to make this happen!

Snowy and her BFF Slap

Summer Sundays are perfect for swimming, sunbathing, hanging with your best girlfriends and having a Pear Martini to watch the sun drop behind the mountains and that is just what Snow and Slap did last Sunday…well almost…

Clint Black has now been Kissed by a Pit Bull

Today I dropped Snowy off at the vet to be spayed and she spotted Clint Black and his beautiful bride Lisa Hartman in the waiting room. Snow happens to be a big fan of them both and she wasn’t shy about letting them know – she walked right over and planted a big Pit Bull kiss on Clint. They kindly asked about Snow and her story and were impressed by how sweet Snow is after all she’s been through. Living in Nashville can be like that sometimes – you might bump into a celebrity at the vet or your yoga class or the grocery store who is a real person. A person who can be touched by Pit Bull love. Click here to see Clint and Lisa singing their gorgeous duet: “When I Said I Do.”. It sure looks like the real thing to me… Love is a beautiful thing…

Danny performing Voo Doo tableside at the Loveless

Snowy and I took some dear and old friends to visit the Loveless Cafe this morning to sample some of Carol Fay’s world famous biscuits. The Loveless Cafe is listed in 1000 Things to do Before you Die so Miss Christie and Miss Harriett can now cross at least one thing off that list! Our waiter Danny performed several amazing tricks which included toothpicks and fire. He also had some very mysterious wisdom to share with us: “Ladies, life is all about balance. 10% of life is what happens to you, and 90% of life is what you decide to do about it.” We all left pondering the meaning of Danny’s message and wondering how to incorporate it into the rest of our day.

Danny's miraculous toothpick trick - what does it all mean?

To further illustrate his point with a fiery  metaphor Danny lit a toothpick on fire, while Christie, her momma Harriett and I reminisced about the good old days at Alta Mira Polo Club in Keswick, Virginia. Back then Christie and I both lived on a stretch of blacktop called Black Cat Road and had many adventures and a few misadventures as well. We talked about old loves and some of those old loves were of the 4 legged variety. Great polo ponies like Boo Boo and Pork Chop that have since moved on to rest in greener pastures, and others that are still living out their retirement as cherished pasture ornaments like Junior, Beanie and Islamorada.

If you play with fire....

After breakfast we bid Danny adieu, as the toothpick burned ever closer to the edge of the water glass, we went outside to give Snow a little Loveless bacon, extra crispy just the way she likes it. But I think she was really dreaming of a big platter of ham biscuits from looking at her don’t you?

Christie, her momma Harriett, and Snowy thinking about Carol Fay's Ham Biscuits

Its great to see old friends again so they can remind you of how far you’ve come!

We love you and come back again soon!

Poppa Boudreau himself

After a day of being a farm girl at Karen and Mike’s gorgeous farm, swimming in the creek with Baylee and Slap Garfield and rolling in lots of doo doo at every opportunity, Snow got to visit Poppa Boudreaux’s in Fly, Tennessee. Poppa regaled us with lots of stories about the witness protection program and told us how much most non cajuns know about making a real Cajun Gumbo [not much!]. On the drive home we rolled down the windows and smelled the fresh cut grass and watched a tiny sliver of a moon hanging in the sky. It was about as perfect a doggie day as one could imagine. Thanks Karen and Mike for a purrrfect day in the country!

Snow tracing her own Circle of Love

While Julie was immersed in a Yoga retreat this weekend at Lick Creek Farm completing her Yoga Teacher Training, Snow was creating her own doggie Circle of Love at the Farm at Natchez Trace [thanks Vonna!]. Meanwhile over at Lick Creek there were also many meaningful moments and rituals including a Hindu Puja ceremony arranged by Allen to honor our Gurus Tom and Daphne. Another amazing moment was the unveiling by our lovely hostess Page of her painting including a tribute to Snow which symbolizes her journey of healing – we have this painting in a place of honor on the mantle here at Flipside and we are so touched by Page’s creative and compassionate heart!

We Can All Try to Heal Someone's Broken Heart

Page also took Julie to visit another Pit Bull girl in need of a new home – we hope she finds just the right lap to snuggle in soon….May all of these many circles of love continue to ripple out into the world…Namaste

Suzie is looking for a new front porch to call her own - can you open your heart to her?

Snow Delivers Emergency Formula to 7 Hungry Coyote Pups

Yesterday Auntie Lane took us out to Walden’s Puddle to make an emergency delivery of baby formula for some motherless coyote puppies. Besides these distant cousins of Miss Snow, we met owls, hawks, songbirds, raccoons, turtles, and lots and lots of squirrels that the saints at Walden’s Puddle are nursing back to health for release into the wild again. Auntie Lane has been supporting the good work of Walden’s Puddle in so many ways and for many years and she wants us to get involved too – we are ready to help and hope you will too!

March Came in Like a Pit Bull and Snow was Ready

George of San Francisco, who Julie knows from way back in the days of the Dixie Pig, was kind enough to outfit Snow for her first winter in Nashville. She would be a little embarrassed if her friends from Frayser saw her in this get up but it does stop her from shivering in the sleet – and of course the lime green coordinates nicely with her golden eyes – at least Julie thinks so .