In August of 2007, Matthew John Hodges, 20 of Wichita was charged with one felony count of animal cruelty after the body of his then girlfriend’s family’s dog was found dead, stuffed in the basement ceiling after being missing for days.

Hodges was staying with the family, visiting with his girlfriend at the end of July when the dog went missing. He’d slept in the basement after attending a baseball game with Mr. Czernicki. The next morning, Dutchess, the Czernicki’s dog of 12 years was missing.

Hodges stood by silent as the family frantically searched for the dog, putting up missing posters. On the 31st of July, a foul smell led them to her, stuffed in the ceiling of the basement.

Their beloved dog was dead. She’d been killed by blunt force trauma to the head.

Now, a year later, the story comes to light.

Apparently Hodges got upset when he saw Dutchess trounce on a kitten and killed the dog.

“He kicked the dog, he hit the dog on the head and threw it out of the room” and the dog died, Defense lawyer John Boyd said. “He panicked and hid the dog in the ceiling.”

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Aside from an accumulation of dirt, a persistent and unpleasant doggie odor could be caused by many factors including dental disease, ear infections, or oily skin. A closer look at your dog may help you find the problem. Look in your dog’s mouth. Are the teeth discolored? Do you sniff more than the usual “doggie breath?” If so, a visit to the veterinarian for a dental checkup and treatment is in order. Your veterinarian can also explain how you can clean your dog’s teeth to help protect against future dental disease.

Ear infections are frequently the cause of an offensive odor, especially among long-eared and floppy-eared dogs. The inside of the ear becomes moist and hot, providing the perfect environment for infections. Take a close look inside your dog’s ears. Is the skin red and sore? Does the dog cry out in pain as you try to examine the ears? Does the ear canal have a bad odor? Any of these may be warning signs of an ear infection which should be treated by a veterinarian.

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We all have days that make us feel like we just want to give up, give in, just run away and sometimes, if we’re lucky, there will be something or someone in our life that inspires us to push on, to continue.

Imagine if you were told you had just three weeks to live. What would you do? Would you curl up and cry and feel sorry for yourself…. would you get your affairs in order…. would you try to fulfill your most special dream?

I first saw this video a while back and it really touched me. Earlier this year, Lis’ Kristof, a cancer survivor for 8 years, was given just 3 weeks to live. She wasn’t ready to let go until she lived her dream and this is truly inspirational.

She left the hospital to run her dog, a Chinese Crested named Diva, through her agility trials just once more. Against impossible odds, she stood on her feet, ran the course with Diva and she got the last qualification necessary to win Diva’s Agility Dog Championship title!

Watch the video and let it touch your heart….

Be Inspired….

On May 6, 2008, Lis lost her battle but she left a powerful memory and tribute to life that will carry on.